Five people were stabbed at Manhattan’s Penn Station late Sunday in an act of “horrific violence,” with one person in serious condition, according to the FDNY.
A suspect is in custody. It was not immediately clear what the motive may have been.
The attack unfolded just after 7 p.m. at the train station on W. 33rd St. and Seventh Ave., an FDNY spokesperson said. One person was seriously wounded, two people were moderately hurt and two people sustained minor wounds, according to the spokesperson.
“Tonight, five people were senselessly attacked at Penn Station in an act of horrific violence,” Gov. Kathy Hochul posted on X. “Our hearts are with the victims and their loved ones, and we are praying for their full recovery.”
Medics transported all of the victims to Bellevue Hospital.
Blood was splattered across the hall in the “pit area” of the NJ Transit section of the station, according to witnesses. Adil Kha, 21, who works in a retail store in the station and witnessed the aftermath of the attack, described pandemonium as dozens of commuters fled the violence. He said one of the victims appeared to have been stabbed in the face.
“I saw a guy that was really bleeding badly,” Kha said. “I mean, it was all on the floor and someone was calling for help and he was, he just fell down, you know?”
He described the victim as a young man in his mid-twenties who was carrying several bags when he was attacked.
“He stabbed a guy over there in the face,” Kha said. “It was really brutal.”
The NYPD referred all questions to Amtrak.
“Earlier this afternoon, Amtrak Police responded to a reported stabbing at New York Penn Station,” Amtrak’s communication director W. Kyle Anderson said in a statement. “The suspect has been apprehended and an investigation is underway.”
The attack took place on the mezzanine leading to Amtrak trains, not on a train or platform, Anderson clarified. Train service was not disrupted.
A police source said the suspect, a man in his 50s, may have accidentally cut himself during the attack. The FDNY confirmed a sixth person was transported to New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell, but it was not immediately clear if the sixth person was the suspect nor was their condition available.
One witness saw police tackle a suspect.
“The crowd was running, terrified, all they were screaming,” said the witness, who asked not to be named. “I saw one officer tackle down the suspect.”
Subul Sadiq, 25, was outside of Madison Square Garden when she saw people running and heard screams. “We heard like some screams and stuff like that and we were confused,” she said. “This man was like bleeding from his ear and everything,” she said.
The chaos left her rattled. “I’m scared as well. Like everyone,” she said. “I want to get home.”
Mayor Mamdani said on social media he had been briefed on the situation, and thanked law enforcement officers for apprehending the suspect.
“I’ve been briefed on the horrific stabbing at Penn Station. Based on the information available right now, six people were stabbed and the alleged perpetrator is in custody following a swift response from the Amtrak Police Department,” the mayor posted on X. “My heart is with everyone who was injured, their loved ones, and all those shaken by this unacceptable violence.
The carnage comes just 24 hours before Game 3 of the NBA Playoffs at MSG, which sits right above Penn Station. Security around the area is currently heightened due to President Trump’s planned attendance at the game.
Kha wondered if security is high enough in light of the attack. “We have a game tomorrow, so upstairs Knicks finals,” he said. “I hope that the security gets tighter here. I hear Mr. Trump also coming, so, yeah they should really focus on the security.”
