Penn Station Stabbing Injures Five as Amtrak Police Arrest Suspect in New York City

Five people were injured in a stabbing at New York City’s Penn Station on Sunday evening, shortly after 7 p.m. on the NJ Transit concourse, and the New York City Fire Department said one person suffered a serious injury while two had moderate injuries and the rest had minor injuries.

“stabbing 5 injured in stabbing at New York City's Penn Station, fire officials say”

ABC13 Houston

The suspect was arrested by Amtrak police after the attack, and the BBC reported the stabbing took place around 19:00 EST (0:00 BST) and that the suspect was emotionally disturbed.

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Amtrak police took a person of interest into custody at the scene and investigators recovered a knife, while People reported that a sixth person was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and that the condition was not immediately available.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he had been briefed on the incident and thanked first responders, and NBC New York reported that there were no signs of terrorism early Monday.

The stabbing happened as the city was heightening security measures before President Donald Trump’s visit to watch the New York Knicks in the NBA finals at Madison Square Garden, which sits directly above Penn Station.

Two of the five victims spoke out about the attack, with Henry Obadiah, 60, telling Eyewitness News that he saw “two people tussling” before the suspect “just came at me with a roundhouse and got me.”

Obadiah said the first thing he thought was “I thought it was a punch,” and he described hearing the suspect yell “He's got a knife, he's got a knife!” as he walked by.

ABC7 New York

Steven Hadgkiss, 52, said he needed six stitches in his neck and described turning around as the suspect ran away, then hearing the suspect yell “dude, you're bleeding all over the place.”

Investigators recovered a knife on the NJ Transit side of Penn Station that was believed to have been used in the attack, and ABC7 New York reported the suspect is a 51-year-old homeless, emotionally disturbed person known to frequent Penn Station.

NBC New York later identified the suspect as Hector Deleon and said he has a history of past crimes in New York and New Jersey, mainly the latter, while also reporting there were no signs of terrorism.

After the stabbing, NYC Emergency Management advised the public to completely avoid the area, and FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul said heavy traffic delays, road closures, emergency personnel presence and significant disruptions to mass transit were expected around Penn Station.

“A New Jersey man has been charged with Sunday night’s bloody stabbing spree inside Penn Station that left six people injured”

amNewYork

People reported that the stabbing came one day before President Donald Trump’s planned attendance at Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden and that officials had already announced heightened security measures near the venue.

The BBC said new security precautions included a no-bag policy and a cancellation of a watch party outside the arena due to Trump’s presence, and it reported Mayor Zohran Mamdani would attend.

amNewYork reported that a New Jersey man, Hector DeLeon, 51, of Newark, NJ, was charged and that he had six prior arrests in New Jersey, with the most recent occurring in May, and that he had also been wanted on a bench warrant in New York.

In a statement shared on social media, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called it an “act of horrific violence” and said “New Yorkers deserve to feel safe wherever they go,” while People reported her remarks alongside the victims’ hospital transport to Bellevue Hospital.