Terrifyingly, it could, quite easily, have been anyone.
With a kitchen knife concealed under his clothing and a second, thicker-bladed knife tucked up his sleeve, Mahdi Mohamud calmly walked down Cheetham Hill Road and into Manchester Victoria railway station on New Year's Eve last year - then slashed and stabbed at the first people he came across, a couple who had been out for drinks with friends.
His frenzied attack - which was immediately declared as a critical incident - was captured in its entirety by CCTV cameras at the station.
The Manchester Evening News has viewed the full, unedited version, which is too graphic and distressing to publish.
Excerpts, however, have been released by Counter Terrorism Policing North West, as has footage from a body-worn camera worn by one of the first British Transport Police (BTP) officers who came face-to-face with him.
Mohamud, 26, who was dressed all in black, walks towards Metrolink platform B then produces the knife and approaches Anna Charlton and James Knox, both aged in their 50s, from behind.
The couple had been enjoying drinks with friends at the Eagle Inn pub and were going home on what is traditionally one of the city centre's busiest evenings of the year.
Ms Charlton and Mr Knox were walking across Metrolink tracks near a platform at the time.
The chilling CCTV footage shows Mohamud appear to run up to Mr Knox and stab him from behind.
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He attempts to fight back on the tracks, but is stabbed again before Ms Charlton is also attacked.
Mr Knox suffered 13 separate injuries, including a skull fracture.
He was stabbed in the shoulder, to the back of the head and to the body.
Ms Charlton suffered a punctured lung and a slash wound to her forehead.
British Transport Police officers were quickly at the scene.
Sergeant Lee Valentine was stabbed in the shoulder by Mohamud after the officer fired a Taser at him.
He was then pinned to the floor by three other BTP officers with the help of two Travelsafe Metrolink officers, where he was detained as back-up arrived.
Sgt Valentine was released from hospital after having stitches just hours later.
Both victims - who were not known to Mohamud and were attacked completely at random - were initially able to walk away from the scene.
They were found injured close to a taxi rank outside the station and treated initially at the scene by the officers and members of the public with medical training who ran to help.
Both Mr Knox and Ms Charlton are now said to be recovering from the ordeal, Counter Terrorism Policing North West said as Mohamud pleaded guilty to their attempted murder, and that of Sgt Valentine.
Two Metrolink Travelsafe security officers were also among the first at the scene.
They were on the opposite platform when the incident unfolded.
Sgt Valentine - and the three other BTP officers - were then shown pinning Mohamud to the ground as back-up and paramedics arrived.
Footage from a body-worn camera being worn by one of the responding BTP officers, Tom Wright, captures the speed of the response - which was within seconds.
The whole incident was over in less than a few minutes.
Mr Knox ‘got in between the attacker and Anna’ to protect her.
Manchester Crown Court was told he recalled raising his foot and pushing Mohamud back, making him stagger.
Ms Charlton described Mohamud, who has been diagnosed as having paranoid schizophrenia, as ‘having an overwhelmingly powerful energy’.
She said she realised it was a ‘targeted attack’ - and thought she might not see her children again.
Both are now said to be recovering.
Earlier, Mohamud was shown walking from his address off Cheetham Hill Road down towards the city centre from 8.20pm on New Year’s Eve last year.
Alison Morgan QC, prosecuting, said he passed other groups of people, but didn't attack anyone else or demonstrate any signs of aggression.
She told the court: "This is not someone in a frenzied state. This is someone who is controlled. He has hidden two knives.
"He had a specific location in mind."
