Police Kill Armed Attacker After New York Subway Stabbings Injure Three

A man armed with a machete who carried out a series of random attacks at a busy subway station in New York City on Saturday morning was fatally shot by police, authorities confirmed.

Officers responded to reports of stabbings around 9:40 a.m. at the 42nd Street–Grand Central station, where they encountered the suspect behaving erratically. According to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, the man made disturbing claims and refused repeated orders to drop his weapon.

Police said officers issued more than 20 commands for him to surrender, but he continued to advance toward them with the knife. An officer then opened fire, striking him twice and stopping the threat.

Tisch stated that officers were dealing with an armed individual who had already injured multiple people and remained a danger on one of the city’s busiest transit platforms. She added that attempts were made to de-escalate the situation before force was used.

The suspect was identified as 44-year-old Anthony Griffin, who had prior arrests on record. He was later pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital.

Three victims men aged 84 and 65, and a 70-year-old woman were injured in the attack. Authorities said their wounds were serious but not considered life-threatening. One victim suffered deep cuts to the head and face, another sustained similar injuries along with a skull fracture, while the third had a shoulder wound.

Investigators said the suspect initially attacked one individual on a platform before moving to another level of the station, where two more people were injured. Joseph Gulotta noted that the assaults appeared to be random.

Kathy Hochul praised responding officers in a social media statement, expressing gratitude for their swift action and confirming that authorities are continuing to investigate the incident.

The New York Police Department had earlier urged commuters to avoid the area as emergency operations were underway, warning of disruptions and congestion. Subway services were temporarily rerouted but resumed normal stops later in the day, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Witness Beau Lardner described hearing loud bangs as he entered the station, prompting panic among commuters. He said crowds rushed toward the exits in a surge he had never experienced before, forcing him to quickly retreat to safety.