Two men were stabbed in separate attacks on Manhattan’s Upper West Side on Wednesday, with police investigating the incident as a possible hate crime or act of terrorism after witnesses reported the suspect shouting “Allahu Akbar” during the assaults.
Two men were stabbed in separate attacks on New York City’s Upper West Side on Wednesday, July 23, in an incident police are investigating as a possible hate crime or terrorism-related offence. The victims, aged 40 and 50, were attacked in broad daylight a short distance apart, with the first stabbed in the back near West 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, and the second stabbed in the chest near West 86th Street and Central Park West. One of the victims is Jewish and was reportedly walking to or from synagogue on Tisha B’Av, a solemn day of fasting in the Jewish calendar. A suspect in his 30s was taken into custody by the NYPD within minutes of the attacks.
What happened
According to law enforcement sources, the first victim was approached from behind and stabbed before the attacker walked several blocks and stabbed the second victim in the chest. Both men were taken to hospital, though reports on their conditions have varied slightly, with one initially described as critical and others describing both victims as serious but stable.
Law enforcement sources indicate the suspect shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the assaults. Officers, aided by witness descriptions and surveillance footage, tracked him to a nearby NYCHA residential building on Amsterdam Avenue, where he was apprehended within minutes of the attacks.
Police response and investigation
The NYPD responded to the scene alongside community safety groups including Shomrim and Hatzalah. Authorities are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime or act of terrorism, though it has not yet been formally classified as either. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force has been notified and is coordinating with the NYPD as investigators work to determine whether terrorism-related charges are appropriate.
Detectives are reviewing surveillance footage from nearby businesses and residential buildings to establish the suspect’s movements before and after the stabbings, and are examining his social media activity, electronic devices and possible ideological motivations as part of the investigation. Police are also looking into whether the suspect specifically targeted victims who were visibly Jewish, including whether religious clothing or other identifiers may have played a role in the attacks.
As a precaution, additional police officers have been deployed to synagogues and other Jewish community locations across Manhattan following the incident. Community leaders have urged anyone who witnessed either attack, or who may have captured video footage, to share it with investigators to assist the inquiry.
Formal charges against the suspect remained pending as investigators continued interviewing witnesses and awaited the outcome of assessments into whether the attacks should be classified as hate crimes or acts of terrorism.
Wider context
The incident fits a broader pattern of antisemitic violence reported in New York City in recent years, with Jewish individuals and institutions frequently targeted. This remains a developing story, and further details are expected as the NYPD’s investigation continues.
