Violence erupted at New York’s Penn Station on the cusp of a week packed with marquee sporting events, leaving six people wounded in a stabbing at the sprawling transit hub, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said.
A suspect was taken into custody and the injured—one of them in serious condition—were taken to a hospital, according to the New York Fire Department.
Fire officials first put the number of victims at five, but Mamdani later wrote on X that, “based on the information available right now, six people were stabbed and the alleged perpetrator is in custody”.
Authorities had not immediately explained what led to the attack. City comptroller Mark Levine said on X the suspect is “said to be an emotionally disturbed homeless person.”
Levine added that all of the victims are expected to survive.
Fire Department vehicles present outside Penn Station
In the aftermath, a photographer at the scene reported seeing gauze, medical gloves and blood on the floor near tracks 5 and 6, where police sealed off the area with a cordon.
Governor Kathy Hochul condemned the stabbing as “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 unfolded inside one of the country’s busiest rail and subway complexes as New York braces for two major sports draws in the coming days: the NBA Finals and football’s World Cup.
Madison Square Garden—situated directly above Penn Station in Manhattan—will stage games three and four of the NBA Finals today and Wednesday, with the New York Knicks facing the San Antonio Spurs.
MetLife stadium, just outside the city in neighbouring New Jersey, is set to host its first World Cup match on Saturday.
US President Donald Trump is expected to attend Monday’s NBA game at Madison Square Garden, after saying recently he accepted an invitation from Knicks owner James Dolan.
City officials have stepped up security ahead of the two events.
New York’s official emergency notification system did not detail the stabbing, but urged the public to steer clear of the area and “expect traffic delays, road closures, mass transit disruptions and emergency personnel near Penn Station.”
Even before the incident, city officials had already called off an outdoor watch party planned for outside the Garden.
Thousands of fans poured into the streets around the venue on Friday for a game two watch party. Authorities said a police officer was assaulted and 26 people were arrested as some spectators became unruly.
