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‘I didn’t have a game plan’: Gymgoers rush to disarm hatchet-wielding attacker in California

March 18, 2023 | | Print Article

Gymgoers at a Planet Fitness in Corona, Calif., turned their workouts up to eleven after a man wielding a hatchet allegedly attacked what turned out to be a Bollywood star in the parking lot, then followed the actor and singer inside, ostensibly to finish the job.

Ronald Chand, 30, was arrested on an attempted murder charge after he allegedly attacked Aman Singh Dhaliwal, an Indian model-turned-actor who is famous to followers of Punjabi cinema, in the parking lot, stabbing him multiple times in the upper body with a knife and a hatchet.

(Video: Fox News)

Dhaliwal, 41, ran into the gym at roughly 9:30 a.m., according to police, where Chand caught up to him and once again held him “at knifepoint.”

Four good Samaritans inside the gym spotted the hostage situation and began to approach the attacker, distracting him enough to allow Dhaliwal to break out of his grasp.

Without hesitation, the foursome jumped on Chand, taking away his weapons and pinning him to the ground until police arrived.

Appearing Friday on “Fox & Friends,” one of the brave heroes, John Keene, described the chaotic scene and explained why he and his fellow gymgoers got involved.

“I kind of didn’t really hesitate,” Keene said. “I didn’t have a game plan.”

“The four of us, none of us even talked as we walked over there,” he recalled. “We all did the exact same thing. And I felt that Steve, the guy with the hat, was going to go in and do something. So I thought, if he goes, I’m going to go because I didn’t want him to get hurt, too.”

“So we didn’t really decide to do anything,” Keene said. “We just did.”

Chand entered the gym making demands for “respect” and “water,” according to Keene.

“He yelled, ‘Respect us,’ and then mostly ‘give me water,'” he said. “The guy in the picture there was a nurse. And he said that he smelled methamphetamine on him. So I think maybe the water had something to do with that. I’m not really sure.”

Initially, the victim’s identity was unknown, however, several credible Indian news outlets soon identified him as the star of several films and television shows.


(Video: YouTube)

Though the motive for the attack has yet to be named, many on Twitter are pointing to the incident and expressing anger over U.S. “lectures.”

“And the US lectures us,” wrote one user on Twitter.

“US is becoming highly unsafe for Asians of late! Despite this growing intolerance, racism & gun violence, it has audacity to lecture other countries!” tweeted another.

“Lecturing is birthright,” replied a third.

“The victim was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment for the non-life-threatening injuries and has since been released,” police stated. “Due to minor injuries sustained before the officers’ arrival, Chand was transported to a local hospital for medical treatment. After being discharged from the hospital, Chand was transported to the Robert Presley Detention Center and booked for Attempted Murder, with a bail of $1,000,000.”

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Melissa Fine
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