Five people were stabbed inside Penn Station on Sunday evening in a frightening attack that witnesses described as sudden and random, sending commuters scrambling through one of Midtown’s busiest transit hubs.
The violence began shortly after 7 p.m., according to fire officials, as travelers were waiting for trains and moving through the station. The attack came just over a day before President Trump was expected to be at Madison Square Garden, directly above the transit complex, for Game 3 between the Knicks and Spurs.
Authorities identified the suspect as 51-year-old Hector Deleon. He was taken into custody after Amtrak police responded to the scene. Sources said Deleon is believed to be homeless and emotionally disturbed.
The five victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital. Fire officials said one person suffered serious injuries, two were moderately injured, and two others had minor injuries. Sources said the suspect was also hurt during the incident, bringing the total number of injured people to six.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene as people screamed, ran and tried to avoid being knocked down in the rush to escape.
Brandon Norwood, who was waiting for a 7:04 p.m. train home, said he saw the suspect stab someone near Track 1 in the NJ Transit boarding area. As soon as the victim screamed, panic spread through the crowd.
“I saw him stab one person, and once the victim started screaming, everyone ran,” Norwood told The Post. “Someone fell, and I had to help them up so they weren’t next or trampled.”
He said the attack unfolded in seconds.
“It all happened so fast,” Norwood said. “It’s gonna stay with me.”
A Penn Station worker who asked not to be named said he was told to begin closing off the area and arrived to find blood on the floor and two wounded men nearby.
Six people injured in a STABBING attack inside New York’s Penn Station
Suspect taken into custody, motive unknown pic.twitter.com/ssneDVeRHU
— RT (@RT_com) June 8, 2026
“I got calls to start closing the station,” the worker said. “It was real bloody, there was a lot of blood on the floor.”
He said one victim had bandages on his head and appeared badly hurt, while another seemed to have an injury near his neck.
“It’s New York City. Things like that happen,” the worker said. “Unfortunately, it happened down here. I can’t say it happens here a lot because it doesn’t. It’s a good place here, people trying to get home.”
An employee at a food vendor inside the station said he saw people running in fear before officers tackled the suspect.
“I saw people running, nothing else,” he said. “They were terrified. I saw how one officer managed to tackle the person down.”
He said the incident left workers shaken.
“I’m working here, and so not only me, my co-workers too, my supervisor over there is working, so we’re terrified because it’s about our own safety as well,” he said.
Several New Yorkers said the randomness of the attack was what disturbed them most.
“You can be standing there waiting for your train and the next thing you know is you’re waking up in the hospital with one of your eyes gone,” said Nia Carrington, 52, of Hamilton Heights.
Carrington said the area around Penn Station often makes her uneasy because of the number of people who appear to be struggling with mental illness or drug use.
Mateo DeJesús, 27, of Bushwick, was inside the station when the crowd began to surge.
“Everyone’s putting their life on the line getting on a train. That’s the reality. You get used to it,” he said. “You just hope you’re not in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Yandel Mercado, 24, of Newark, pointed to the timing of the attack, with the president expected nearby the following day.
“Today, five people stabbed, tomorrow the president of the United States is coming in to watch the Knicks right here,” Mercado said. “It’s chaos around here.”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on X that he had been briefed on the attack and called it horrific.
“My heart is with everyone who was injured, their loved ones, and all those shaken by this unacceptable violence,” Mamdani wrote. “I’m wishing each of the victims a full and speedy recovery.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul also condemned the attack, calling it “an act of horrific violence” and thanking the officers and first responders whose quick actions helped prevent further harm.
The investigation remains ongoing.
