(AFP) – Six people were wounded Sunday in a stabbing at New York’s Penn Station, the city’s mayor said, as the metropolitan area geared up to host two major sporting events — the NBA Finals and football’s World Cup. A suspect was detained and the victims, including one with serious injuries, were transported to a hospital, according to the New York Fire Department. Fire Department officials initially reported five wounded, but Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on X that, “based on the information available right now, six people were stabbed and the alleged perpetrator is in custody.”
Circumstances of the attack were not immediately clear, but city comptroller Mark Levine said on 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 afterward 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 “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 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 the streets outside the venue on Friday for a game two watch party. New York authorities said a police officer was assaulted and 26 people were arrested as some fans turned rowdy.
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