(AFP) – Five people were wounded Sunday in a stabbing at New York’s Penn Station, according to the city fire department, as the metropolitan area gears up to host two major sporting events — the NBA Finals and football’s World Cup. A suspect was detained, and the victims — all civilians including one with serious injuries, two with moderate injuries, and two with minor injuries — were transported to hospital, the New York Fire Department said in a brief statement. “Perp in custody,” it said. “Operations ongoing.”
Circumstances of the stabbing were not immediately clear. A photographer at the scene afterward saw gauze, medical gloves, and blood on the floor near tracks 5 and 6, where police cordoned off the area. The incident occurred at one of the nation’s busiest rail and subway transportation centers as the city prepares for two huge sporting spectacles in the coming week: basketball’s NBA Finals and football’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 state, will host its first match of the World Cup on Saturday.
US President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend Monday’s NBA game at Madison Square Garden, saying recently that 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 emergency notification system did not describe the incident but said people should avoid the area and “expect traffic delays, road closures, mass transit disruptions & emergency personnel near Penn Station.”
Prior to the stabbing, New York officials had already cancelled an outdoor watch party set for Monday outside the Garden. Thousands of spectators descended onto an intersection outside the venue on Friday for a game two watch party. New York authorities said 26 people were arrested after some fans turned rowdy. Mayor Zohran Mamdani said a police officer was assaulted as authorities sought to contain the crowd, and he called the behavior “unacceptable.”
© 2024 AFP
