VEN (MINNEAPOLIS) — A  St Paul man  is in stable condition Wednesday,  after being garroted by one man and then stabbed repeatedly by another man wielding  a machete and shouting “Allahu Akbar,” as he was trying to buy a box Tampons for his wife at a local convenience store Tuesday night.

“We believe the assailants mistook the victim for a member of the LGBTQ community because of his diamond stud earring and the feminine product he was attempting to purchase,” an anonymous  Minneapolis police officer told VEN.  “They were very agitated when the saw him in line in front of them.  The store clerk who called 911 tried to warn him, but it was too late.”

Both suspects are in custody.

After appealing to women to buy their own feminine hygiene products “for the safety of all,” Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges reminded Twin City residents at a press conference Wednesday morning that diversity is their strength, and cautioned everyone to be mindful of the customs of others, no matter how strange they might at first appear.

“After all,” Ms Hodges explained.  “We really do all breathe the same air.”