Knife attacks in New York. A man stabbed others, in separate incidents without a word spoken, this Monday in Manhattan. Two of the victims have died, and another is in critical condition, according to authorities.
The 51-year-old suspect is in custody after being found with blood on his clothes and two kitchen knives in his possession. His name and the victims' names have not been released. "Three New Yorkers. Unprovoked attacks that leave us searching for answers on how something like this could happen," Mayor Eric Adams said at a press conference.
Adams described these violent episodes as a "clear and evident example" of failures in the justice system and other areas. The suspect, apparently a homeless person, had been convicted in a criminal case a few months ago and was arrested for grand larceny last month, according to authorities.
"No words were exchanged. There was no robbery. Just vicious attacks," described Joseph Kenny, chief of detectives of the New York Police Department. The attacks occurred within a span of two and a half hours.
In the first attack, on West 19th Street, a construction worker near the Hudson River died shortly before 8:30 a.m.
Two hours later, on the other side of Manhattan, a man was attacked while fishing in the East River, near East 30th Street. He also died.
The suspect then apparently moved north, near the riverbank. Around 10:55 a.m., a woman was stabbed multiple times near the United Nations headquarters, on East 42nd Street, Kenny said. A passing taxi driver witnessed the third attack and alerted the police, according to authorities. An officer quickly apprehended the suspect.
The bloodshed occurred in a major city where, like others, crime has been a prominent topic in political discourse and daily concerns in the years since pandemic lockdowns emptied the streets and fueled disorder.
Murders in New York City so far in 2024 have decreased by 14% in two years, but serious assaults have increased by around 12%, according to police statistics. Some recent stabbings in public places have garnered attention, including a fatal attack at the Coney Island subway station just a few weeks ago.