Doug Payne, owner of Downtown Entertainment in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, survived being stabbed five times with a switchblade while closing his video game store on Monday afternoon. The assailant, later identified as Gregg Musakanda, 32, wore multiple layers and disguises including sunglasses and gloves. Musakanda is charged with aggravated assault and several other offenses; he appeared in court via video conference on Thursday. Payne narrowly avoided fatal injuries by luck, his artery missing each time.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-18,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
'I should have been dead': Victim of Corner Brook, N.L., stabbing thankful to be alive
Doug Payne was stabbed five times in attack on Monday afternoon
WARNING: This story contains a graphic description of assault.
In the short time after being stabbed five times while trying to close his Corner Brook video game store on Monday, Doug Payne said he wanted to make jokes with medical professionals to lighten the tension.
asserted
he → stab → tension
But he knows how close he was to a much worse outcome.
asserted
he → know → outcome
"You become very self-aware that the time is starting to run low.
asserted
time → become → ?
Things are starting to get dark, things are starting to get cold …
asserted
things → start → ?
You just feel a growing weakness," he said.
asserted
he → feel → weakness
The artery should have been hit.
asserted
artery → hit → ?
Gregg Musakanda, 32, has since been charged with aggravated assault, assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm, possession of a weapon with a dangerous purpose, breaking and entering and wearing a disguise with intent.
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Musakanda → charge → intent
He appeared in a Corner Brook courtroom on Thursday via video conference.
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He → appear → conference
Payne shared his account of the stabbing with CBC News on Thursday.
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Payne → share → Thursday
He said a man came into the store sometime around 4:45 p.m. on Monday.
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man → say → Monday
They spoke about video games for around 15 minutes.
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They → speak → minutes
Payne saw the man wearing multiple layers of clothing covered by a black full-body covering, sunglasses and leather combat gloves.
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man → see → covering
He said he didn't ask questions about the outfit, as a Halloween costume store had recently opened next door.
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store → say → outfit
As the situation got later and later, you could tell something was off," Payne said.
uncertain
Payne → get → ?
"I actually left consoles here on the counter, 'cause I figured it was trying to be possibly a theft.
uncertain
it → leave → counter
If he would have asked, I would have just gave it to him.
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I → ask → him
"
Feeling uncomfortable, Payne says he told the man he was closing the store early.
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he → feel → store
He wouldn't leave, Payne said, adding he heard him make multiple phone calls to another person trying to get him to the store.
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him → leave → store
At around 5:15 p.m., Payne said he turned off the lights to close the store.
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he → say → store
The man was still there, so Payne said he turned to address knocked over games on a shelf to look busy — when he heard a click behind him.
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he → say → him
"Saw it coming, but I didn't have long to react to it …
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I → see → it
Luckily, he missed my artery, and instead drove [a knife] deep and almost into my throat," he said.
asserted
he → miss → throat
Like, what he did almost didn't register for a second.
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did → register → second
I don't think I did right, 'cause I should have stopped him.
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I → think → him
But I did what I could to survive.-
uncertain
I → do → ?
Over the course of the next few minutes, Payne says he was stabbed five times by a four-inch switchblade.
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he → say → switchblade
He was stabbed once through his neck, his shoulder, his side, across his stomach and across his lower back.
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He → stab → back
Payne said he worked his way through an aisle — and was kept from the door by the man blocking it.
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he → say → it
That's when he says he decided to try and plow his way to the door.
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he → say → door
"I just had to put my shoulder down.
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I → have → shoulder
I knew I was going to get stabbed, I could kind of direct it to somewhere else," he said.
uncertain
he → know → it
Payne said he threw multiple kicks after falling to the ground to protect himself.
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he → say → himself
A final, two-legged kick sent his attacker into the store's counter, he added, which gave Payne time to get outside.
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which → send → time
"The second [the attacker] stepped outside, he put the knife away and just dropped the whole act and just walked like nothing had happened," Payne said.
asserted
Payne → step → act
His attacker fled on foot, according to police, and was arrested at a residence on Valley Road around 7 p.m. Monday.
uncertain
attacker → flee → p.m.
Payne said he worked to get to a nearby grocery store for help, but two regular customers of his store had appeared in the parking lot.
"
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customers → say → lot
The sidewalks were covered.
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sidewalks → cover → ?
I was head to toe covered in blood.
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I → cover → blood
Head to toe," added Payne.
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Payne → add → toe
"By sheer, dumb luck ... an ambulance just happened to be coming down here to go buy popcorn at Sobeys."
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ambulance → happen → Sobeys
…and 6 more, not listed.
The Aporia
