Daijiworld Media Network - New York
New York, Apr 12: A man armed with a machete stabbed three people at Grand Central Terminal before being shot dead by police, triggering panic at one of the busiest transit hubs in New York City.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the suspect, identified as 44-year-old Anthony Griffin, attacked a 65-year-old man, a 70-year-old woman and an 84-year-old man in a seemingly random assault. All three victims sustained injuries but were reported to be out of danger.
According to officials, Griffin entered the subway system at Vernon Boulevard station in Queens around 9:30 am and travelled to Grand Central, where he first slashed the 84-year-old victim, causing severe injuries to the head and face. He then moved to another platform and stabbed the other two victims, with one suffering an open skull fracture and the other a shoulder injury.
Police were alerted around 9:40 am and confronted the suspect on the platform. Despite repeated commands to drop the weapon and attempts to de-escalate the situation, Griffin advanced towards officers with the machete.
“Our officers were confronted with an armed individual who had already injured multiple people and continued to pose a threat. They took decisive action to protect the public,” Tisch said.
An officer opened fire, striking the suspect, who later died. Officials said the standoff lasted around 10 minutes. Two police personnel were also hospitalised and are in stable condition.
Authorities sealed off parts of the station, diverting trains on multiple subway lines during the investigation. Officials confirmed that the victims had no prior connection to the attacker, indicating a random act of violence. Griffin had been arrested three times previously.
Reacting to the incident, Kathy Hochul praised the swift police response, while New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said an internal probe is underway and body camera footage will be released.
Officials noted that despite such incidents, overall violent crime in the city has declined in recent years, though authorities acknowledged that random attacks continue to cause public concern.