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NYPD shot and killed man who slashed 3 with machete at Grand Central, officials said
By
Ryan Kost
and
Jill Webb
Published Apr 11, 2026
Modified Apr 11, 2026
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Jill Webb/Gothamist
By
Ryan Kost
and
Jill Webb
Published Apr 11, 2026
Modified Apr 11, 2026
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A man wielding a machete attacked three people at the Grand Central subway station Saturday morning before being shot and killed by police, NYPD officials said Saturday.
Police said the man boarded the 7 train in Queens and was acting erratically on board. He pulled out the machete and exited at Grand Central, where he slashed one person before heading to the 4, 5 and 6 train platform, where he attacked two others, according to the NYPD. The victims were an 84-year-old man, a 70-year-old woman and a 65-year-old man, according to police.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch described what happened hours later during a press conference at Grand Central.
At about 9:40 a.m., someone flagged down two detectives working at the station and told them a man with a knife had just stabbed multiple people on the subway platform, she said. As the detectives moved toward the 4, 5, 6 platform, they found one of the victims of the attack coming up the stairs.
Tisch said the officers found the attacker on the platform and ordered him to drop the knife at least 20 times. The man, who was behaving erratically and calling himself Lucifer, refused the orders and “advanced toward the officers with the knife extended.”
One officer shot the man — whom Tisch identified as Anthony Griffin, 44 — and immediately began performing life-saving measures. Griffin was taken to Bellevue Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
One of the victims, the 65-year-old man, suffered an open skull fracture, indicating the level of force used by the attacker. The 84-year-old man had significant cuts on his head and face, Tisch said. The third victim had a cut on her shoulder.
“Their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening,” Tisch said, adding that no officers were injured.
“Random acts of violence scare everyone, anyone can be a victim of a random act of violence,” she said. “That is why it is so important for New Yorkers to understand that the NYPD has recently upped our presence in the transit system, including right here in Grand Central Station.”
Jordan Washington works at the New York Transit Museum in Grand Central and said the carnage broke out just as he was starting his work day.
"Obviously I knew the subway was kind of crazy, but the fact that it just happened out of nowhere, that's just nasty,” he said.
He said he was helping direct confused passengers for the rest of the day when they couldn’t get to the 4, 5, 6 or 7 trains.
Rosa Coaxum was one of the displaced commuters trying to figure out a new route.
"It's just sad no matter how you look at it,” she said. “It's sad for the victims. It's sad for the city itself. I mean, like what would drive a person to do such a thing, you know?"
In a post on social media, Mayor Zohran Mamdani thanked the police for their “quick response and for preventing additional violence.” He added that the police department is “conducting an internal investigation and will release body-worn camera footage, as it does in all incidents involving the discharge of an officer's firearm.”
The attack prompted the NYPD to shut down the station, the second busiest in the MTA’s network, suspending 4, 5 and 6 train service in both directions. As of 1:30 p.m., police were working to reopen some of the lines.
A spokesperson for the MTA said the 5 train was running with delays systemwide, with uptown service beginning at 59th Street.
The NYPD asked the public to avoid the area around Grand Central Station. New Yorkers were told to expect delays and heavy traffic in the surrounding area.
This is a developing story and has been updated.
Tagged
nypd
public safety
transportation
Ryan Kost
Ryan Kost is a reporter on the day-of news desk, where he covers breaking news and writes enterprise stories about jails, courts, prosecutors and government accountability. His work focuses on the public institutions that shape life in New York. Before joining the newsroom, he lead a multi-part investigation with Columbia Journalism Investigations and New York Focus into how New York prosecutors handle wrongful conviction claims. He's also been a staff writer at The San Francisco Chronicle, The Associated Press and The Oregonian. Got a tip? Signal: ryankost.20
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Jill Webb
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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