Man Is Accused of Killing 2 in Random Stabbings in Manhattan
The New York Times
A suspect was arrested Monday morning in connection with the stabbings, which occurred across a broad swath of the borough over several hours and left a third person critically injured.
A 51-year-old man killed two people and critically wounded a third in a series of random stabbings in Manhattan early Monday, officials said.
The man, whom the police did not immediately identify, was arrested shortly after the third attack based on a tip from a cabdriver, officials said. The driver saw the stabbing and pointed the assailant out to a police officer.
When the man was taken into custody, he had two knives that were covered with blood and his clothes were also spattered with blood, officials said. The man, who the police said appeared to be homeless, had been arrested eight times in the past, most recently on a larceny charge in October, according to officials.
Mayor Eric Adams, speaking at a news conference where he was joined by police leaders, said officials were still reviewing the man’s record but that there were “serious questions on why he was on the street.” The mayor also said the man had “serious mental health issues.”
“Today, we have three innocent New Yorkers who were victims of a terrible, terrible assault,” Mr. Adams said. The stabbings, he added, were “a clear example of a criminal justice system and a mental health system that continues to fail New Yorkers.”
The names of the victims were not immediately released, pending notification of their families.
