A Montgomery Village father is facing a long road to recovery after a brutal stabbing attack that occurred while he was walking with his young daughter. Joseph Love Carter was stabbed on the morning of July 31, 2025, near the 18300 block of Lost Knife Circle. The community has jumped in to help, creating a GoFundMe fundraiser to help him in his time of need.
According to a public Facebook post shared by Carter, he was walking with his daughter when a person approached them from behind. Carter said that after the assailant said some words, the man pulled out a knife and lunged at him. In a heroic act of parental instinct, Carter pushed his daughter out of harm’s way, leaving himself exposed to the attack. He described seeing “blood pouring out of my body and falling to the floor” before he was able to create distance.
The victim’s daughter, who has autism, witnessed the entire traumatic event. However, Carter expressed immense gratitude and relief that she was unharmed, noting that she miraculously knew to run away and find him. “I was the happiest man in the world when I saw her running towards me,” he wrote.
Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) officers from the 6th District responded to the scene at 9:04 am on Thursday, July 31. At the time, MCPD confirmed that one adult male was injured and that it was an active and ongoing investigation, with no suspect in custody at the time.
The father was rushed to the hospital with what were described as life-threatening injuries and underwent immediate surgery. Carter shared that he was recently discharged from the hospital due to limitations in insurance coverage, and now faces a difficult and lengthy recovery. He has already undergone three surgeries and is suffering from severe nerve damage and numbness. Doctors have told him it will take a full year to recover, and even then, he may not regain 100% of his function.
As a primary caregiver for his two children for the past three years, the attack has created an even more challenging situation. Now, he himself requires a caregiver. He is seeking assistance for medical expenses, physical therapy, and, crucially, psychological counseling for his daughter, who experienced the trauma firsthand. The family has a long and challenging road ahead, and they are seeking support from the community to help them through it. The fundraiser can be found here.