NEW YORK — A tense situation unfolded at New York City’s Grand Central Station on Saturday when police fatally shot a man wielding a knife. The individual, who attacked and injured three people, was confronted by the NYPD.
The man, identified as 44-year-old Anthony Griffen, began his violent spree after boarding the 7 train at Queens’ Vernon Boulevard station. Upon reaching Grand Central, Griffen stabbed an elderly man on the platform and went on to injure two more individuals on the 4/5/6 platform, police revealed during a Saturday press briefing.
Authorities were alerted shortly after 9:30 a.m. Two detectives from the NYPD, working overtime on transit patrol, encountered one victim ascending the station steps as they arrived on the scene, according to police reports.
Griffen displayed erratic behavior, claiming to be “Lucifer,” as noted by Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch on Saturday.
Despite being ordered to drop his weapon approximately 20 times, Griffen advanced toward the detectives with the knife. In response, one detective discharged his weapon twice, as described by Tisch.
After the shooting, officers administered CPR at the scene before Griffen was transported to Bellevue Hospital, where he was declared deceased.
Police say the three victims, ages 65, 70 and 84, were stabbed prior to the officers’ arrival. They were transported to local hospitals. The 65-year-old man suffered an open skull fracture, a severe head injury putting the brain at high risk of injury or infection.
It appears the three victims did not know each other and had chance encounters with the suspect, who was set on causing severe harm to people who were simply taking the train.
Two police officers were also taken to the hospital following the incident. Authorities have since recovered the weapon used by the suspect at the scene.
Griffen has three priors in New York City, according to the commissioner.
The slashing wounds are severe but the victims are stable in the hospital, according to police.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he had been briefed on the incident.
“I’m grateful to the NYPD for their quick response and for preventing additional violence. The three victims were taken to the hospital and are thankfully in stable condition. The NYPD is conducting an internal investigation and will release body-worn camera footage, as it does in all incidents involving the discharge of an officer’s firearm,” Mamdani said in a statement.
There is no connection to terrorism, police said.
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