Survivors of Watertown machete attack speak out, want apology

WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) - After being injured by a machete last week, a couple says they want an apology from the Watertown teenager accused of attacking them. We warn you that the injuries and descriptions of them could be disturbing.

Josh Larkins and Katrina Dusharm say they have been too anxious to sleep at night after what happened last Tuesday. They say an apology would go a long way toward changing that.

“Every little noise we’re afraid somebody’s out there,” said Dusharm.

The injuries are evident on Dusharm and her fiancé Josh Larkins.

Last Tuesday in Watertown, Larkins’ face was slashed by a machete, fracturing multiple bones and leaving a gnarly cut on his eye.

“My eye, they ended up sewing it because he cut it. It was so cut it was spread right apart. They cleaned it all up, got it to open, but it was too blurry to see,” said Larkins.

Dusharm had to get staples for a cut on top of her head and had surgery Friday on her right hand.

“He cut it all the way to the bone; he cut through the tendon. They thought they were gonna have to repair nerves, but thankfully they didn’t have to do that,” said Dusharm.

An 18-year-old Watertown High School student, Shayquan Bullocks, is accused of the attack.

Dusharm, Larkins, and a third person, Joshua Ortlieb, first ran into Bullocks early Tuesday afternoon at Stewart’s on Coffeen Street where they got into an argument after yelling at Bullocks for littering.

Court papers say the group then called Bullocks a scumbag.

The paperwork says after that Bullocks went home and got a machete, which he said he wanted for self-defense.

About an hour later at Little Caesar’s on State Street, Bullocks approached the truck the three were in at the drive-thru.

In court documents, Dusharm says she got out of the truck, Bullocks shoved her, and then she punched him in the face.

After that is when Bullocks is accused of striking her with the machete and soon after cutting Larkins.

Now the couple says they want Bullocks to say he’s sorry.

“We want an apology to show that he is remorseful for what he did,” said Dusharm.

“I just want answers from the kid. Why would - why? He’s 18. He’s ruining his life,” said Larkins.

“The main thing is that we’re here and we’re alive. But there was no need for all of that,” said Dusharm.

Bullocks faces two counts each of assault and possession of a weapon.

After a court appearance Monday morning, Bullocks had a brief but emotional exchange with his father as police escorted him back to jail where he’s being held without bail.

We have spoken with his family but they say they’re not ready to comment on the case.

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