A Sunday evening stabbing rampage inside New York City’s Penn Station turned one of the nation’s busiest transit hubs into a scene of chaos and panic, leaving five people injured and sending terrified commuters scrambling for safety as a suspect allegedly attacked strangers at random.
The violence erupted shortly after 7 p.m. inside the Midtown Manhattan transportation center, according to fire officials. Within moments, what began as an ordinary evening rush transformed into a frantic stampede as passengers fled the unfolding attack.
Five victims were transported to Bellevue Hospital. Authorities said one person suffered serious injuries, two sustained moderate injuries, and two others were treated for minor wounds.
An unidentified suspect was taken into custody at the scene. Law enforcement sources said the individual is believed to be homeless and emotionally disturbed. Officials also indicated the suspect suffered injuries during the incident, accounting for reports that six people were ultimately hurt.
Amtrak Police responded rapidly and apprehended the suspect before additional injuries could occur.
Witnesses described scenes of confusion, fear, and bloodshed as commuters attempted to escape.
Brandon Norwood was waiting for a train home when he said he witnessed the attack unfold near Track 1 in the NJ Transit boarding area.
“I saw him stab one person, and once [the victim] started screaming, everyone ran,” Norwood said.
“Someone fell, and I had to help them up so they weren’t next or trampled.”
Norwood said the attack happened so quickly that many people initially struggled to understand what was occurring.
“It all happened so fast,” he said. “It’s gonna stay with me.”
Photos shared online showed police officers pinning a suspect to the station floor as passengers looked on.
A Penn Station worker who arrived after receiving calls to shut down portions of the terminal described a disturbing scene.
“It was real bloody, there was a lot of blood on the floor,” he said.
The employee reported seeing one victim with severe head injuries and another with what appeared to be a wound to the neck.
Despite working in one of the city’s busiest transportation centers, the employee said incidents of this magnitude remain uncommon.
“It’s a good place here, people trying to get home,” he said. “I’m just glad it wasn’t anything crazier than what it was.”
Employees inside the station’s restaurants and retail areas also found themselves caught in the chaos.
One food vendor worker said he saw crowds suddenly running through the terminal as word spread about the attacks.
“I saw people running, nothing else. They were terrified,” he said.
He also witnessed the suspect being subdued.
“I saw how one officer managed to tackle the person down.”
The randomness of the attack appeared to unsettle many commuters as much as the violence itself.
“You can be standing there waiting for your train and the next thing you know is you’re waking up in the hospital,” said Nia Carrington, a Manhattan resident who spoke after the incident.
Carrington pointed to longstanding concerns about public safety and mental illness around the transit hub.
“This part of town is just so full of mentally ill people, people off their meds, people on drugs wandering around like they’re on another planet,” she said.
“And every once in a while, they have a knife in their pocket.”
Others expressed a sense of resignation that has become increasingly common among regular transit riders.
Mateo DeJesús, who was inside Penn Station when the stampede began, said people instinctively ran without fully knowing what was happening.
“Everyone’s putting their life on the line getting on a train,” he said. “You just hope you’re not in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
The attack also occurred less than twenty-four hours before President Donald Trump was scheduled to attend Game 3 between the Knicks and Spurs at nearby Madison Square Garden, directly above Penn Station.
“Today, five people stabbed, tomorrow the president of the United States is coming in to watch the Knicks right here,” said Newark resident Yandel Mercado. “It’s chaos around here.”
City and state leaders quickly responded.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he had been briefed on what he described as a horrific incident and praised the rapid response by Amtrak Police.
“My heart is with everyone who was injured, their loved ones, and all those shaken by this unacceptable violence,” Mamdani said.
Gov. Kathy Hochul issued a similar statement.
“Tonight, five people were senselessly attacked at Penn Station in an act of horrific violence,” Hochul said.
“Thank you to the law enforcement officers and first responders whose swift actions prevented further harm.”
Investigators continue working to determine exactly what led to the attacks and whether the suspect had any connection to the victims. Early indications suggest the stabbings were random, making the incident all the more disturbing for the thousands of people who pass through Penn Station every day.
