Police Shoot Dead Machete Attacker After Three Elderly People Stabbed at Grand Central

A man armed with a machete attacked three elderly people at Grand Central Station in Manhattan on Saturday morning, injuring an 84- or 85-year-old man, a 65-year-old man, and a 70-year-old woman before being shot dead by New York Police Department officers. The incident took place around 9:50 a.m. local time on a subway platform at the station, located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. The attacker ignored repeated orders to drop his weapon and lunged at responding officers, who then opened fire. The man died from his injuries. Authorities stated they have no immediate indications that the attack was terrorism-related, and an investigation into the motive remains ongoing.

Grand Central Terminal has served as a major transit hub in New York City since the early twentieth century and handles hundreds of thousands of passengers on a daily basis. Knife and bladed-weapon attacks on the New York City subway system have drawn repeated public attention to transit safety in recent years. The station sits at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan and serves as the southern terminus of the Metro-North Railroad's commuter lines as well as several New York City subway lines.

The three victims were transported to hospital following the attack. Reports on their condition varied across sources: the Italian outlet La Repubblica and The Independent cited police sources describing the three stabbing victims as in stable condition, while several other outlets, including Rai News and the Italian site Open, reported all three were in critical condition. Two NYPD officers were also taken to hospital for observation or minor checks, though they did not appear to be seriously injured, according to reporting by Open. Police were still investigating on Saturday whether the stabbings began on the subway platform or inside a train, according to The Independent.

Governor Hochul praises officers, calls attack senseless New York Governor Kathy Hochul responded to the attack on social media, expressing gratitude for the speed of the police response. „I am grateful to our brave officers who responded quickly to stop the suspect. We are working closely with the NYPD as the investigation develops.” — Kathy Hochul via The Independent Hochul also described the incident as a "senseless act of violence" and expressed closeness to the victims and their families, according to Rai News. „Our thoughts go out to the injured people and their loved ones during this difficult time.” — Kathy Hochul via Rai News Hochul has served as the 57th governor of New York since 2021 and is the state's first female governor.

Station evacuated, transit disruptions spread across multiple lines The NYPD posted on X urging the public to avoid the Grand Central Station area on Saturday morning due to the ongoing police investigation, warning of delays and heavy traffic in surrounding streets. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced service diversions on several lines in both directions to facilitate the investigation, and some subway trains bypassed the station entirely, according to The Independent. Eyewitnesses cited by local broadcaster WPIX reported seeing the attacker wielding a machete and striking passersby before officers arrived. Authorities began reviewing surveillance camera footage from the station and questioning witnesses to reconstruct the sequence of events, according to Rai News. No information on the identity or background of the attacker had been released as of Saturday afternoon, and the motive for the attack remained unknown.