Two subway knife attacks in Midtown NYC leave two injured as city pledges police funding

Two separate knife attacks on New York City's subway system Saturday left a 38-year-old man stabbed in the torso on a southbound 6 train at Grand Central around 5 p.m. He was hospitalized at Bellevue Hospital in stable condition, authorities said.

About an hour later, at 6:11 p.m., a 15-year-old boy was slashed in the arm on the ACE line at the 42nd Street stop, police said. The attacker wore a brown jacket, and the two had a dispute before the assault.

Police described the Grand Central stabbing suspect as wearing all gray and a beanie; the knife was recovered at the scene, and the suspect fled to street level.

Earlier Friday, a man was stabbed in the back while waiting for a train on the Upper West Side, on the northbound 1 line at 96th Street and Broadway, around 7 p.m. The 23-year-old victim was taken to Mt. Sinai-Morningside Hospital in stable condition; police recovered the knife at the scene. Investigators described the suspect as a light-skinned male with a slim build who fled on foot.

There have now been four knife attacks on New York City subways this month, officials said.

Gov. Kathy Hochul pledged $77 million to keep NYPD officers in the subway system in 2026, as officials note subway crime has fallen to its lowest level in 16 years and overall transit crime is about 15% lower than in 2019.

Investigators were continuing to review surveillance footage and interview witnesses, with no arrests announced in connection with Saturday's incidents as of the latest updates.