‘Horrendous:’ Funeral arrangements set for toddler killed in random attack at local Giant Eagle parking lot

[Watch: Previous coverage in the video player above.]

NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio (WJW) — Funeral arrangements have been set for a 3-year-old boy killed in a random stabbing in a local Giant Eagle parking lot.

Calling hours for Julian Wood of North Olmsted, whom family called “JuJu,” are from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, June 7, at Ripepi Funeral Home along Pearl Road in Parma.

A Mass of Christian Burial is set for 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 8, at St. Charles Borromeo Church along Ridge Road in Parma, according to his obituary.

Homeowner speaks after deadly crash into his house

He’ll be interred at Sunset Memorial Park in North Olmsted.

In lieu of flowers, the obituary requests donations to a GoFundMe account that’s been set up to aid the Wood family. It has raised more than $170,000 as of Thursday morning.

Loved ones who organized the GoFundMe page for the family wrote, “Many of you have been following this horrendous story online and have been asking what happened and how something like this could happen in our own neighborhood. Honestly we have no explanation as to how or why this happened.”

The scene unfolded in broad daylight on Monday, June 3.

Officials said at about 3 p.m., a mother and her toddler son had finished grocery shopping and were headed back to their vehicle outside of the Giant Eagle in North Olmsted, when a woman wearing all black charged at them with a kitchen knife, stabbing both of them.

Three-year-old Julian died at the hospital and the child’s 38-year-old mother, Margot Wood, was treated for non-life threatening injuries, officials said.

Surprise gift brings joy to toddler with rare cancer

Police report the 3-year-old was stabbed in the face and back. His mother was stabbed in the shoulder. Police said the attack took just seconds.

The GoFundMe post, shared by friends and family, shines some light on the young victim’s “rambunctious” personality and said he leaves behind a big brother and new baby sister.

“This will be an incredibly long journey to recovery, but truthfully we will never recover — but we will continue to share stories about our beautiful baby boy, his laugh, his cheesy smile, his rambunctious attitude, his love of dinosaurs, his love of school, his obsession with his new baby sister and wrestling his big brother every chance he gets … and all the other beautiful things about that sweet little boy,” read the post.

The suspect in the case is Bionca Ellis, 32, of Cleveland. She was quickly arrested. On Wednesday, she was indicted by a grand jury on charges including murder, attempted murder, felonious assault and more.

Police said Ellis was seen on surveillance video walking into the grocery store, immediately after obtaining a kitchen knife at a nearby store. She passed Margot and Julian Wood and then followed them back out to their car.

She is due back in court for arraignment on June 10.

I-Team: Downtown CLE stunt drivers unfazed by police

Meanwhile, those supporting the Wood family wrote, “This is something no person, no family, no mother, no father, no grandmother should ever experience. We urge you all to hold your babies close. This should have never happened.”

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.