Six people were injured in a stabbing at Penn Station, New York on Sunday evening, less than 24 hours before thousands of fans and President Trump will attend the NBA finals at nearby Madison Square Gardens.
The attack, which took place at around 7pm local time, comes amid heightened security for Games 3 and 4 of the NBA Finals on Monday and Wednesday.
Paramedics found one victim with serious injuries, two with moderate injuries and two more with minor injuries. A sixth victim was also taken to hospital, but details of their injuries are unclear.
Emergency services were called to the station entrance at West 33rd Street and 7th Avenue.
A suspect is now in custody.
A witness said officers pepper-sprayed the man and tackled him.
“They had to get other cops in order to grab him,” the witness said.
“He was just screaming, waving his head around,” another witness told WCBS of the suspect. “I’ve seen him once, but I didn’t think he was capable of doing anything.”
Other witnesses said they heard screaming and saw one of the victims bleeding.
CNN notes, “Monday marks the first time the NBA Finals are coming to Madison Square Garden since 1999. Extra deployments, additional monitoring of cameras, more intelligence sharing and even drone deployments are part of an aggressive, proactive approach in an elevated threat environment, officials say.
“Federal authorities had also already been working to implement a detailed security plan in anticipation of Trump’s appearance Monday at Game 3.”
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani issued a statement in response to the attacks.
“My heart is with everyone who was injured, their loved ones, and all those shaken by this unacceptable violence. I’m wishing each of the victims a full and speedy recovery,” Mamdani said.
“I’m grateful to the Amtrak Police Department and the first responders who acted quickly to apprehend the suspect and provide emergency care.”
