Kennedy Armstrong

Kennedy Armstrong helped rescue Madison Schemitz and rescued Jaclyn Rogé from assault, Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, June 3, 2023. Madison, 17, had just left a restaurant with a friend and was about to get into her car when her ex-boyfriend ran up on her from behind and attacked her with a folding knife, stabbing her repeatedly. Madison’s mother, Rogé, 43, ran to help, engaging the assailant and pulling him off her daughter until he stabbed her, too. Armstrong, 22, restaurant manager, and a friend had just pulled into the parking lot when they heard screams. Armstrong immediately sprinted 160 feet across the parking lot and tackled the assailant to the ground. When the assailant tried to get back up, Armstrong jumped on him and pinned his arms down. As Armstrong briefly glanced at the victims, the assailant began slitting his own throat before bystanders wrested the knife from him. Armstrong had sustained a cut to his right hand, which severed an artery. Firstresponders arrived to begin life-saving measures. The assailant was later prosecuted and pleaded guilty to attempted homicide and aggravated battery. Madison had been stabbed 17 times in the chest, arms and back and was partially paralyzed. Rogé suffered stab wounds to her forehead, hand and leg. Armstrong lost blood from the severed artery and suffered nerve damage to his hand. He underwent surgery and physical therapy and was recovering.