Several people were stabbed in New York City’s subway system over the weekend, in the wake of Mayor Eric Adams announcing plans for safer public transit.
NBC News reports at least six stabbings occurred within 48 hours of Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochul unveiling a 17-page public safety initiative, “Safety Subway Plan,” on Friday.
The first two stabbings took place Friday night in stations in Queens, where two men were attacked in separate incidents. Both were taken to the hospital and are in stable condition.
On Saturday afternoon in the Brooklyn neighborhood of East New York, a dispute resulted in a woman getting stabbed three times in the abdomen. She was also transported to a local hospital in stable condition. Another victim was treated on-scene by EMS on Saturday evening after he was stabbed in the leg when two men attempted to rob him. Later that night a male victim was stabbed in the arm amid a dispute in Harlem. He was taken to the hospital in stable condition.
Lastly, on Sunday evening a man was stabbed in the back and arm while on the subway between the Lafayette Street and Canal Street stations. He, too, was transported to a local hospital in stable condition.
Adams and Hochul’s plan laid out how they “will begin addressing public safety concerns and supporting people experiencing homelessness and serious mental illness on New York City’s subways.”
Adams said in a statement, “It is cruel and inhumane to allow unhoused people to live on the subway, and unfair to paying passengers and transit workers who deserve a clean, orderly, and safe environment. The days of turning a blind eye to this growing problem are over.”
In a separate statement, Hochul added, “For too long our mental health care system suffered from disinvestment, and the pandemic has only made things harder for New Yorkers with serious mental illness who are experiencing homelessness.”
“We must work together to keep our subways—the lifeblood of New York City—safe for all riders, and to get help and services to those in need,” she continued.
