Six people were injured Sunday in a knife attack at New York's Penn Station, authorities said.
A person believed to have mental health issues was taken into custody by Amtrak police, a senior law enforcement official said. An Amtrak spokesperson said five people were slashed but that all patients were stable, and that a knife was recovered at the scene.
The city's fire department said it received a call about someone stabbing multiple people just after 7 p.m. One person had serious injuries and other injuries ranged from minor to moderate; those people were taken to Bellevue Hospital, while a sixth person with a minor injury was taken to Cornell Hospital.
A fire department statement gave a different count, saying five people were injured, including one with a serious injury, two with moderate injuries and the rest with minor injuries, and said the injured were taken to Bellevue Hospital.
Law enforcement said the stabbing appeared to be a random act of violence, that the suspect was emotionally disturbed, and that officers apprehended the suspect after a manhunt.
Sources said the attacker was a man experiencing homelessness and that none of the injuries were believed to be life-threatening.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said, "My heart is with everyone who was injured, their loved ones, and all those shaken by this unacceptable violence. I’m wishing each of the victims a full and speedy recovery." He noted there were no impacts to Amtrak service.
Gov. Kathy Hochul called the attack "an act of horrific violence." "Our hearts are with the victims and their loved ones, and we are praying for their full recovery," she said on X. "New Yorkers deserve to feel safe wherever they go, and we will never stop working to make that a reality."
City officials said they were heightening security around Madison Square Garden and Penn Station ahead of a planned visit by President Donald Trump to watch the New York Knicks in the NBA finals, announcing measures including a no-bag policy and the cancellation of a watch party outside the arena; Mayor Mamdani was expected to attend.
Police asked the public to avoid the area because there were expected to be traffic delays, road closures and mass transit disruptions.
Video shows at least four Amtrak officers apprehending the suspect at the scene, and one witness said the officers pepper sprayed the suspect and then tackled him. "They had to get other cops in order to grab him," the witness said.
One witness, Michael Christian, said, "He was just screaming, waving his head around."
A high-ranking NYPD source said the stabbing had "no terror nexus."