NEW YORK (TNND) — A man was shot and killed by police after he attacked multiple people with a machete at Grand Central Station on Saturday, according to authorities.
New York Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner Jessica Tisch identified the suspect as 44-year-old Anthony Griffin. She said the attack happened on a platform inside the busy transit hub, where the suspect slashed three people around 9:40 a.m. before officers confronted him.
Tisch said police opened fire when the man refused more than 20 commands to drop the weapon.
“The individual was armed with a large knife, described as a machete, and was behaving erratically, repeatedly stating that he was Lucifer,” she said during a news conference. “The individual refused to comply with at least 20 orders to drop the knife. Officers also attempted to de-escalate and offer assistance, saying, ‘We are going to get you help.’ He then advanced toward the officers with the knife extended. One officer discharged his firearm, striking the perpetrator twice.”
The commissioner said the suspect was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. She added that while he has three unsealed prior arrests, he does not have a documented history with the NYPD.
Tisch said the people who were hurt are all being treated at Bellevue Hospital.
“One of the victims, an 84-year-old man, sustained significant lacerations to the head and the face on the 7 train platform,” she said. “Another, a 65-year-old man, sustained similar injuries, as well as an open skull fracture on the 456 platform. And a third victim suffered a laceration to the shoulder, also on the 456 platform. All three victims were transported to Bellevue Hospital. Based on current information, their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening at this time.”
Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul said they were brief following the attack. Both praised police.
“I’m grateful to the NYPD for their quick response and for preventing additional violence,” Mamdani said in a statement he posted on X.
Mamdani also said police are conducting an internal investigation into the shooting and plan to release body-worn camera footage, as is standard in incidents involving an police-involved shooting.
Hochul, who described it as a “horrific incident,” said her office is working closely with police as the investigation unfolds.
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The investigation is ongoing.