- A victim suffers serious injuries.
- All victims are expected to survive.
- The police block tracks 5 and 6.
NEW YORK: Six people were injured Sunday in a stabbing at New York’s Penn Station, the city’s mayor said, as the metropolitan area prepared to host two major sporting events – the NBA Finals and soccer’s World Cup.
A suspect was taken into custody and the victims, including one with serious injuries, were transported to a hospital, according to the New York Fire Department.
Fire officials initially reported five injured, but Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on the X that “based on the information available right now, six people were stabbed and the alleged perpetrator is in custody.”
The circumstances of the attack were not immediately clear, but City Comptroller Mark Levine told the X that the suspect “is said to be an emotionally disturbed homeless person.”
All victims are expected to survive, he added.
A photographer at the scene afterwards saw gauze, medical gloves and blood on the floor near tracks 5 and 6, where police cordoned off the area.
State Governor Kathy Hochul described the attack as “a horrific act of 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 incident took place at one of the nation’s busiest rail and subway hubs as the city prepares for two huge sporting spectacles this coming week: basketball’s NBA Finals and soccer’s World Cup tournament.
Madison Square Garden, located directly above Penn Station in downtown Manhattan, will host games three and four of the NBA Finals on Monday and Wednesday between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs.
MetLife Stadium, outside the city in neighboring New Jersey, will host its first World Cup game on Saturday.
US President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend Monday’s NBA game at Madison Square Garden and recently said he accepted an invitation from Knicks owner James Dolan.
Security has been enhanced in the city ahead of the two events.
New York’s official alert system did not describe the incident, but said people should avoid the area and “expect traffic delays, road closures, mass disruptions and emergency personnel near Penn Station.”
Before the stabbing, New York City officials had already canceled an outdoor watch party set for Monday outside the Garden.
Thousands of spectators took to the streets outside the venue on Friday for a two-match celebration. Authorities in New York said a police officer was assaulted and 26 people were arrested as some fans were booed.
