Six people were stabbed inside Penn Station in Manhattan on Sunday evening when a man described by police as emotionally disturbed attacked multiple victims in a New Jersey Transit waiting area in what law enforcement is calling a random act of violence.
The suspect was tackled and arrested at the scene by Amtrak Police officers within minutes of the attack. All six victims were transported to the hospital. None of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening.
The attack unfolded at approximately 7 PM near West 33rd Street inside one of the busiest transit hubs in the United States. The victims range in age from 16 to 65. The oldest victim was transported to Bellevue Hospital in serious condition.
Two others suffered moderate injuries. Two more had minor injuries. A sixth victim was taken to New York Presbyterian Cornell Hospital. A knife was recovered from the scene.
"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," Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement Sunday night. "My heart is with everyone who was injured, their loved ones, and all those shaken by this unacceptable violence. I'm wishing each of the victims a full and speedy recovery."
What Happened And How It Ended
The attack happened in the New Jersey Transit waiting area inside Penn Station, a space that on any given Sunday evening is filled with commuters, travelers and people waiting for trains.
Witnesses described the suspect as screaming and erratic before the attack. Michael Christian, a witness who told CBS News he had seen the suspect before in the area, said:
"He was just screaming, waving his head around. I've seen him once, but I didn't think he was capable of doing anything."
Police sources described the suspect as an emotionally disturbed person. A high-ranking NYPD source told multiple outlets that there was no terror nexus to the attack.
Preliminary information suggests the attack was random, the victims had no known connection to the suspect, and the attack does not appear to have been targeted at specific individuals.
Amtrak Police responded and took the suspect into custody at the scene. Video broadcast by local television stations showed officers physically tackling the man to the ground inside the station.
The speed of the apprehension limited the duration of the attack. Once the suspect was on the ground, the immediate threat ended.
NYC Emergency Management initially advised the public to avoid the area as law enforcement worked the scene, with expected traffic delays, road closures and mass transit disruptions in the immediate vicinity.
Amtrak confirmed there were no service impacts to its trains despite the incident.
The Station, The Victims And The Timing
Penn Station sits below Madison Square Garden at 33rd Street and 7th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, the busiest passenger rail station in the United States by ridership, processing hundreds of thousands of commuters, Amtrak passengers and New Jersey Transit riders on a normal day.
A Sunday evening in June is peak travel time for New Jersey Transit commuters returning from weekend trips into the city and travelers making connections across the Northeast Corridor.
The victims who were in that waiting area when the attack began were doing what people do in train stations, sitting, waiting, checking their phones, watching the boards for departure times.
They ranged from a 16-year-old to a 65-year-old. The 65-year-old's condition was described as serious. The youngest victim was among those with minor injuries. All were taken to the hospital. None were expected to die.
Subul Sadaq, 25, of New Jersey told amNewYork she had just been dropped off at the station by her father and was sitting on the steps at 33rd Street when she witnessed the aftermath of the attack.
The people who saw it happen, the people sitting near the victims, the people who watched Amtrak officers tackle the suspect, are now the people who have to carry that Sunday evening with them.
The attack came less than 24 hours before President Trump was expected to attend Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden, directly above and adjacent to Penn Station, for the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks series.
The security footprint around MSG on Monday for the Finals was already planned to be substantial. The Sunday night stabbing added an additional layer of law enforcement presence in the immediate area before the game.
The Official Response
Mayor Mamdani praised the speed of the law enforcement response and the Amtrak Police specifically for their role in quickly apprehending the suspect. "I'm grateful to the Amtrak Police Department and the first responders who acted quickly to apprehend the suspect and provide emergency care," he said.
The mayor confirmed his administration is in contact with Amtrak officials as the investigation continues.
Governor Kathy Hochul addressed the incident from a broader safety framing. "Our hearts are with the victims and their loved ones, and we are praying for their full recovery," Hochul said. "Thank you to the law enforcement officers and first responders whose swift actions prevented further harm. New Yorkers deserve to feel safe wherever they go."
The investigation into the attack, who the suspect is, what his background is, what preceded the attack and what charges will be filed, was ongoing Sunday night.
No formal charges had been announced as of the time of initial reporting. The suspect remains in custody.
Penn Station And Public Safety
Penn Station has been the subject of ongoing discussions about public safety, homelessness and the presence of emotionally disturbed individuals in New York City's transit infrastructure for years.
The Sunday attack adds another chapter to that conversation, another incident in which a person in apparent mental distress caused harm to innocent people in a public transit space before being stopped by law enforcement.
What prevented more serious harm on Sunday evening was the speed of the Amtrak Police response, the officers who tackled the suspect while the attack was still in progress rather than after it had concluded.
That speed is what the mayor and governor were thanking first responders for. It is also what kept a serious and frightening incident from becoming worse than it was.
Six people are at Bellevue Hospital and New York Presbyterian tonight because of what happened at Penn Station on Sunday. They are expected to recover. The station reopened to normal operations.