Rocker longs to return to stage after knife attack

The night of Aug. 28 started off as a typical one for Drew Johnson, guitarist for local rock band Skull’Rz Bane.

But it turned into a shocking hell that left him with multiple stab wounds at the hands of a stranger who had broken into his house. He was left lying in a pool of his own blood, his abdomen opened up by a vicious blade attack, and his daughter holding his flesh together to keep him from bleeding to death.

Johnson is on the mend these days, although he hasn’t returned to his band yet. His alleged attacker has been apprehended and is awaiting justice.

To help Johnson, an all-day benefit concert with five bands, two acoustic acts, food, raffles, an auction and more will begin at 3 p.m. Saturday at The Dash Inn on the West Side of Youngstown.

Johnson plans to attend that show, although he still bears the scars — physical and mental — from the attack.

Here is what happened to him on that night in late August.

Johnson and Skull’Rz Bane had played at Go Go Girls in Austintown and went out for a post-gig breakfast. Afterward, he and his daughter, Roxanne — who is the band’s drummer — returned to their home on the West Side of Youngstown.

As soon as he pulled up in front of his house, Johnson noticed that something was amiss. A door window was smashed out, and a light that he had left on had been turned off. Cautiously, he took out his pocket knife and began to search his house in the dark. He could tell that someone had gone upstairs because a drum kit that had been blocking the stairs had been moved.

Once upstairs, he noticed that a door that he always keeps closed was ajar. As he opened the door, a man jumped out and stabbed him twice in the left upper chest.

Johnson dropped his pocket-knife and grabbed the assailant’s hand and wrestled him to the ground, suffering four more stab wounds in the process.

He pinned his assailant but was getting weak from blood loss. He called Roxanne to take the man’s knife while he held him down, but she couldn’t pry it away.

“I knew time was running out quickly with the amount of blood I was losing, so I told him, ‘We don’t have to do this.’” said Johnson. “He said, ‘You first,’ and I said, ‘That’s not going to happen.’ I somehow managed to get him up, down the stairs and out the door, and I pushed him out. He started screaming about keys, so to keep him from trying to come back in and doing anything else or hurting my daughter, I found my keys and threw them at him and closed the door.”

At this point, Johnson said he lay down on the kitchen floor to die. Roxanne called 911 and then held her father’s flesh together with her hands to staunch the blood. But there were too many wounds.

A pool of blood had formed underneath Johnson, and his daughter kept screaming into the phone for the ambulance to hurry.

“I truly didn’t think I would make it,” Johnson recalled. “I was actually preparing to die at this point. Finally, the paramedics arrived, and they were able to get me to the hospital and into surgery quick enough to save me.”

Johnson was in surgery for six hours at St. Elizabeth’s on the North Side. In addition to massive slashing wounds from which he lost two liters of blood, Johnson also had a collapsed lung. Surgeons had to remove part of his stomach because it was mangled.

Police found Johnson’s alleged assailant and his vehicle later that night. The suspect, who was wanted in another stabbing earlier the same night, now awaits trial.

As for Johnson, he said he is finally starting to feel like himself again.

“I can’t wait to get back on stage,” he said. “We normally play at least once a week, and I’m not used to taking this long between shows. I am planning on being at the Dash Inn for the benefit. And who knows, maybe I’ll try to make it to the stage.”

Scheduled to play at the concert are acoustic acts Bill Seiffert and Freddie and local bands No. 1 Special, Obsydyan, Six Shots Left, Azimuth and Fastlane.

Tickets are $5 in advance and $8 at the door. For tickets or to make a donation, call Roxanne Johnson at 234-855-0823 or e-mail her at Roxm14@aol.com.