Six Injured in Stabbing Incident at New York Penn Station
In the aftermath, a photographer at the scene saw gauze, medical gloves and blood on the floor near tracks 5 and 6, where police had sealed off the area.
As New York braced for a week in the global spotlight, violence erupted at the heart of the city’s transit network: six people were wounded in a stabbing at Penn Station, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said, just as the metropolitan area prepared to host the NBA Finals and football’s World Cup.
Authorities detained a suspect after the attack, and all six victims were taken to a hospital, according to the New York Fire Department. One person suffered serious injuries.
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Fire officials had first said five people were hurt, but Mamdani later posted on X that, “based on the information available right now, six people were stabbed and the alleged perpetrator is in custody”.
Investigators had not immediately established the circumstances surrounding the stabbings. City comptroller Mark Levine said on X that the suspect is “said to be an emotionally disturbed homeless person.”
Fire Department vehicles present outside Penn Station
In the aftermath, a photographer at the scene saw gauze, medical gloves and blood on the floor near tracks 5 and 6, where police had sealed off the area.
Governor Kathy Hochul called the assault “an act of horrific violence”.
“New Yorkers deserve to feel safe wherever they go, and we will never stop working to make that a reality,” she said in a statement.
Major sporting events
The attack struck one of the country’s busiest rail and subway hubs as New York made final preparations for two major sporting events in the days ahead: basketball’s NBA Finals and football’s World Cup.
Madison Square Garden, which sits directly above Penn Station in Manhattan, is set to host games three and four of the NBA Finals today and Wednesday between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs.
MetLife stadium, across the river in neighbouring New Jersey, will stage its first World Cup match on Saturday.
US President Donald Trump is also expected at Monday’s NBA game at Madison Square Garden after recently saying he had accepted an invitation from Knicks owner James Dolan.
City officials have already tightened security ahead of both events.
New York’s emergency notification system did not spell out details of the incident, but urged people to stay away from the area and warned them to “expect traffic delays, road closures, mass transit disruptions and emergency personnel near Penn Station.”
Even before the stabbing, officials had scrapped an outdoor watch party planned outside the Garden.
Thousands of fans had flooded the streets around the arena on Friday for a game two watch party. Authorities said a police officer was assaulted and 26 people were arrested after parts of the crowd became disorderly.
