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Lawyer for man arrested in fatal NYC subway stabbing says he was defending his brother
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Jul 23, 2025
Modified Jul 23, 2025
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AerialPerspective Works via Getty Images
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Jul 23, 2025
Modified Jul 23, 2025
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Police have arrested a man accused of stabbing and killing a teenage boy on a Manhattan subway platform Saturday and charged him with manslaughter, the NYPD said late Tuesday — but his attorney said the man was trying to defend his brother during a fight.
Officials said they took 24-year-old Brandon Gonzales into custody Sunday in the 13th Precinct, which includes the subway station at 14th Street and Seventh Avenue where the stabbing happened. He allegedly attacked fellow Bronx resident Shalon McFarlane, 17, during what police said was a fight among three people that escalated around 7 p.m.
But Gonzales’ lawyer Geoffrey Stewart said his client was “acting on instinct” after watching his brother get stabbed first.
“It’s really a textbook case of him defending himself,” Stewart said in a phone interview Wednesday, adding that McFarlane “seemed to be looking for a confrontation and it ended up in tragic circumstances.”
Stewart said the fight started over a small interaction between strangers — a glance in the wrong direction — and escalated once McFarlane pulled out a knife. The attorney denied reports that Gonzales and his brother chased after the teen.
Gonzales was stabbed in his torso during the brawl and taken to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition, according to the NYPD. Police said a third person, a 20-year-old man, was not injured in the incident, but Stewart said the man was Gonzales’ brother and was stabbed.
Gonzales was arraigned Monday and released on $20,000 bond with electronic monitoring, according to Stewart. Gonzales lives in Wakefield, while McFarlane lived in Fordham North, the NYPD said.
Two other people have been killed in New York City’s subway system so far this year, according to police. As of July, subway homicides are far behind last year’s total of 10, the same number as in 2022 and the highest in a quarter-century, NYPD and MTA data show.
Overall transit crime in 2025 is roughly level with the amount by this point last year, police data shows.
This story has been updated with additional information.
Tagged
manhattan
new york city
public safety
transportation
Brittany Kriegstein
Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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