The attack happened less than a day before crowds were expected at Madison Square Garden.
NEW YORK — A stabbing inside Penn Station injured six people Sunday evening, bringing a major police response to the rail hub below Madison Square Garden as the city prepared for a high-security NBA Finals game.
The violence began around 7 p.m. in the busy Midtown station. Fire officials said one victim suffered serious wounds, two had moderate injuries and others had minor injuries. Five people were taken to Bellevue Hospital, and another person was taken to a different hospital for reasons officials had not fully explained.
Amtrak police said a suspect was taken into custody soon after the attack. Police sources said investigators recovered a knife. Authorities had not released the suspect’s identity or a full account of what happened before the stabbings. Officials also had not said whether any victims knew the attacker.
Witnesses described a sudden rush of fear inside the station. Video showed several Amtrak officers surrounding and arresting the suspect. One witness said officers pepper sprayed the man before taking him down. “They had to get other cops in order to grab him,” the witness told CBS News New York.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the city was working with Amtrak as the investigation moved forward. He thanked Amtrak police and first responders for acting quickly and said there were no immediate impacts to Amtrak service. Police sources said early information pointed to a random attack and no link to terrorism.
Penn Station sits below Madison Square Garden and serves Amtrak, NJ Transit, the Long Island Rail Road and subway lines. The station sees hundreds of thousands of riders and visitors on a normal day, and the area was expected to be even busier Monday because of Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
The Knicks were scheduled to host the San Antonio Spurs in the first NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden since 1999. President Donald Trump was expected to attend, prompting security planning involving the Secret Service, the NYPD and other agencies. Officials had not said the stabbing was connected to the game.
Late Sunday, the station had returned to a tense version of normal. Commuters rolled luggage past a closed-off area near Tracks 5 and 6, where bandages, gloves and blood remained on the floor. Police asked people to avoid the area because of traffic delays, road closures and transit disruptions.
As of Monday morning, June 8, investigators had not announced charges or a motive. The next update was expected after police and Amtrak officials completed more interviews and reviewed evidence from the station.
Author note: Last updated June 8, 2026.