A 51-year-old homeless man with eight arrests went on a stabbing spree in New York City, killing two men and leaving a woman in critical condition. The suspect, whose name was not released, was caught by a good Samaritan cab driver who alerted authorities. The attacks were described as unprovoked by officials, who expressed shock at the violence that resulted in three innocent victims being attacked. The suspect was found with blood-covered kitchen knives, and his clothing was also stained with blood. Witnesses described the attacks as sudden and brutal, with the suspect simply walking up to his victims and attacking them with knives.
The first victim, a 36-year-old man, was stabbed in the stomach in front of a construction site where he was working. He was taken to Bellevue Hospital but was pronounced dead. Two hours later, a 68-year-old man who was fishing was stabbed multiple times throughout his body near the FDR Drive on the East River. He also died at Bellevue Hospital. The third victim, a 36-year-old woman, was stabbed multiple times near the United Nations building and was listed in critical condition at Weill Cornell Medical Center. Mayor Eric Adams confirmed that there were no other suspects in the stabbings.
The suspect was taken into police custody after being confronted by a witness who thought he was a robbery suspect. The witness, a cab driver who had seen the third attack, alerted authorities to the suspect’s presence in the area. The suspect was found with large kitchen knives covered in blood and his clothing was also blood-stained. The officer who took the suspect into custody described hearing a commotion, stepping outside, and reacting to what people were saying. The suspect was taken to a police precinct for questioning. Mayor Adams stated that the attacks highlighted failures in the criminal justice and mental health systems that continue to impact New Yorkers.
The NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny described the attacks as a terrible assault on innocent New Yorkers going about their daily lives. The suspect, with a history of arrests, was characterized as a knife-wielding individual who targeted his victims in unprovoked attacks. The violence, described as sudden and brutal, resulted in the deaths of two men and left a woman fighting for her life. Mayor Adams emphasized that Monday’s attacks were a stark example of the failures in the criminal justice and mental health systems. The suspect’s arrest was made possible by a quick-thinking witness who alerted authorities to his presence in the area.
The stabbing spree began early in the morning when the suspect stabbed the first victim in front of a construction site where he was working. The violence continued with the stabbing of a 68-year-old man who was fishing near the East River. The suspect then attacked a 36-year-old woman near the United Nations building. The attacks were described as unprovoked by Chief of Detectives Kenny, who expressed shock at the brutality of the assaults. The suspect was apprehended by a witness who believed he was a robbery suspect, and he was found with blood-covered knives and clothing. The attacks underscored the challenges and shortcomings of the criminal justice and mental health systems in New York City, according to Mayor Adams.
