A shocking incident unfolded near the 96th Street Station on Manhattan’s Upper West Side this morning as a 26-year-old man was stabbed in what police are describing as an unprovoked and random attack. The New York Police Department (NYPD) is currently investigating the assault, which occurred in close proximity to the heavily trafficked 96th Street 1/2/3 subway station on Broadway, and appealing to the public for information to help apprehend the suspect.
The incident occurred shortly after 8 a.m., a busy time for commuters and local residents in the Upper West Side neighborhood. According to police reports, the 26-year-old victim sustained a stab wound to the buttocks. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) promptly responded to the scene and transported the injured man to a nearby hospital. Fortunately, authorities have indicated that the victim is expected to make a full recovery from his injuries.
Eyewitness accounts from the scene have begun to surface, painting a clearer picture of the unsettling event. A local food vendor, who was operating near the 96th Street station, told amNewYork about witnessing the aftermath of the attack. The vendor reported seeing the 26-year-old victim collapse just outside the T-Mobile store, which is located across the street from the subway station entrance. This detail highlights the brazen nature of the attack, occurring in a highly visible public area during the morning rush hour.
Video footage circulating on Citizen, a crime and safety app, further corroborates the vendor’s account and the chaotic scene that ensued. The video depicts bloodstains on the sidewalk directly in front of the T-Mobile store, along with the stark presence of blue police tape cordoning off the area as a crime scene. A segment of the video also shows a police officer engaging with a building manager from a nearby building, suggesting that this individual may have been a witness to the stabbing incident itself, and was providing information to law enforcement.
The food vendor, in his statement to amNewYork, recounted, “He stabbed him outside of the train station. I didn’t see the [stabbing] because I was working, but he [the victim] laid down here and the ambulance came.” This testimony reinforces the location of the attack as being directly outside the 96th Street station, a central hub for transportation and pedestrian traffic in the Upper West Side.
As of now, no arrests have been made in connection with this disturbing incident at the 96th Street station. The suspect is described as last being seen wearing black sweatpants and a distinctive blue bubble jacket. The NYPD is actively pursuing leads and urging anyone who may have witnessed the stabbing or has any relevant information, no matter how seemingly insignificant, to come forward and assist with the investigation.
The NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) for English speakers and 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish speakers. Members of the public can also submit tips anonymously through the Crime Stoppers website or by sending a direct message to @NYPDTips on Twitter. The police department emphasizes that all information will be treated with the strictest confidence, and encourages community cooperation to ensure the safety and security of the Upper West Side and its vital transportation hubs like the 96th Street station.
