New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said police are investigating two daytime stabbings on Manhattan’s Upper West Side as possible hate crimes after witnesses and victims reported that the suspect allegedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” during both attacks.
In a statement posted on X, Mayor Mamdani said he had been briefed on the attacks. “I am relieved that both victims are in stable condition,” the mayor wrote.
Police have arrested Raul Morales, 51, in connection with the incidents. Authorities said both victims are in stable condition. Mamdani also updated that the investigators are also exploring whether the suspect’s mental health played a role in the stabbings.
Mamdani wrote, “The NYPD’s initial investigation suggests that mental health may have been a factor. They are also evaluating these stabbings as potential hate crimes.”
He condemned the stabbings and added, “These hateful and despicable attacks have no place in our city.”
The attacks occurred around 1:30 p.m. Thursday near Central Park on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, a neighbourhood known for relatively low crime, according to The New York Times.
What happened on the Upper West Side?
According to the New York Police Department, Morales allegedly attacked two men in separate incidents within minutes of each other.
Police said the first victim, identified by law enforcement officials as Chok Sung, 57, was stabbed in the back on Central Park West and West 84th Street.
Morales then allegedly walked to West 86th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, where he stabbed a second victim, Moshe Yezhak Grunhaus, 50, in the torso with a screwdriver, police said. Both men were transported to Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital and are expected to survive.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch also said witness and victim statements indicated Morales shouted “Allahu Akbar” during both attacks. She stressed that detectives are still determining the motive.
“Our detectives are evaluating whether these incidents constitute hate crimes,” Tisch said, adding that investigators believe mental health may have contributed to the attacks.
What do we know about Raul Morales?
Police said Morales walked back to his apartment in a New York City Housing Authority building on Amsterdam Avenue after the attacks. Officers from the NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit later arrested him inside the building without further incident.
Neighbours described Morales as quiet and reserved.
Belkis Amador, who lived next door, told The New York Times that Morales had moved into the apartment about six months ago and rarely interacted with residents.
“He never talks at all,” she said, adding that he often returned home after overnight shifts as a security guard.
