Three elderly New Yorkers, aged 84, 65, and 70, were stabbed with a machete on a subway platform at Grand Central in Midtown Manhattan on Saturday morning, an incident that ended with police fatally shooting the assailant. The attack, which occurred at the 42nd Street-Grand Central station, left victims with significant lacerations and an open skull fracture, highlighting the escalating breakdown of public order in the city's vital transit infrastructure.
The Associated Press reported that an 84-year-old man, a 65-year-old man, and a 70-year-old woman were the victims of the machete attack. One man sustained "significant lacerations to the head and face," while another suffered similar injuries alongside an open skull fracture. The third victim received a laceration to the shoulder. All three victims were transported to hospitals and are expected to survive their injuries.
Police officers responded to an emergency call of an assault at the station around 9:40 a.m. ET. They encountered the man, identified as Anthony Griffin, 44, who was behaving erratically and claiming he was "Lucifer." Officers ordered him to drop his weapon 20 times, but he refused to comply, leading an officer to shoot him twice. Griffin later died at Bellevue Hospital from his injuries.
A System of Failure
Anthony Griffin, 44, had a documented history of criminal behavior, including three prior unsealed arrests, according to the Associated Press. CNN further reported that Griffin was known to police and had been arrested numerous times, including for menacing and slashing at people with a sharp object. This extensive record of prior offenses raises questions about the systemic failures that allowed a repeat violent offender to continue posing a threat to the public in a major urban center.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated at an afternoon news conference that officers were "confronted with an armed individual who had already injured multiple people and was continuing to pose a threat." She added that officers "gave clear commands," "attempted to de-escalate," and "when that threat did not stop, they took decisive action to stop it and to protect New Yorkers on one of the busiest train platforms in the city."
Cost to New Yorkers
Chief of Transit Joseph Gulotta indicated that the attacks appeared to be random acts, underscoring the pervasive and unpredictable nature of such violence in public spaces. This randomness contributes to a climate of fear for ordinary citizens, particularly the elderly, who rely on public transit.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul posted on social media, expressing gratitude to "our brave officers who acted quickly to stop the suspect." She added that her administration was "working closely with the NYPD as the investigation unfolds," a statement that focuses on post-incident response rather than the underlying conditions enabling such attacks.
The incident caused significant disruption to public life, with the police department urging travelers via X to avoid the area Saturday morning and to expect delays and heavy traffic. The Metropolitan Transit Authority confirmed that some subway trains were not stopping at the affected station, which is a critical hub separate from regional train service at Grand Central. The event unfolded on one of the city's busiest train platforms, impacting countless commuters and residents.