A person was stabbed in Lower Manhattan on Sunday morning in what police call an “unprovoked attack.”
A 36-year-old man was stabbed in the back of the head at around 2:45 a.m. The attacker walked up to the victim from behind and then stuck a “sharp object” in his head, the New York Post writes. He was later taken to a local hospital in serious but stable condition.
Stabbings seem to be on the rise in New York City. One weekend in late February saw at least six stabbings on the subway following Mayor Eric Adams’ new plans to increase safety on public transit. Within 48 hours of Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s public safety initiative, called “Safety Subway Plan,” two separate stabbings happened on Feb. 18, three on Feb. 19, and one on Feb. 20. None of the attacks were fatal.
Adams and Hochul said their plan “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.”
Hochul also released a statement: “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.” She continued, “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.
