A 14-year-old boy was stabbed to death on a Manhattan subway platform in the middle of the afternoon on Saturday in the latest crime to shock New York’s embattled transit system.
In a statement to DailyMail.com, an NYPD spokesperson said that officers were called to the 137 Street – City College train station after being notified about a crime in progress.
When officers arrived at the station, they found a 14-year-old on the northbound 1 train platform with a stab wound to his stomach.
The victim was transported to Mount Sinai St. Luke’s, where he was pronounced dead.
Officials said that the victim will not be identified until his family have been notified.
The station is located in the Hamilton Heights neighborhood, just north of the Ivy League’s Columbia University.
A witness told CBS New York that the brawl began as three teenage girls were attempting to rob the victim.
The witness said: ‘There were girls. There were three little girls. There was one with the green that I, that’s one that did the stabbing, and there were two young kids, maybe like 13 or 14, too. They wanted to take his phone.’
The person also said that emergency services arrived too late to save the teen: ‘When they were bringing him up, he was dead. His head tilt back, his eyes were rolled back to the white, and purple, his lips were purple, purple. He was dead.’
NYPD spokesperson said that officers were called to the 137 Street – City College train stations after being notified about a crime in progress
NYC Transit president Richard Davey called the stabbing ‘senseless and tragic
When officers arrived at the station, they found a 14-year-old on the northbound 1 train platform with a stab wound to his abdomen. Hours later, blood stains could be seen on the walls leading out of the station
The victim was transported to Mount Sinai St. Luke’s, where he was pronounced dead
A 15-year-old who said that he knew the victim told the Post: ‘It’s devastating, bro. This never should’ve happened. It’s sad. The kid was growing up and had so much to look forward to.’
A local resident told the newspaper: ‘You’re not even safe in the daytime anymore. They’re doing things in the daytime now. They have no respect for the cops or nobody. Where are the parents of these kids doing this mess? I just don’t understand.’
The suspect remains at large. Police have identified a suspect through surveillance video, according to the New York Daily News.
Speaking at a youth event in the Bronx, Mayor Eric Adams said: ‘So being here today and hearing about the stabbing really highlights why we need the lights on in schools like this so our children can have a safe space.’
While NYC Transit president Richard Davey called the stabbing ‘senseless and tragic,’ reports NY1. Davey said that his office is co-operating with the NYPD investigation.
Democratic New York City Councilmember Shaun Abreu, whose district includes the station, said in a statement: ‘My office is aware of the young man who was fatally stabbed on the 1 train platform in Hamilton Heights. This violence is despicable and tragic. I want to express my deepest condolences to the victim’s family, friends, and community.’
This is the fifth murder so far this year in Abreu’s district.
The suspect remains at large. Police have identified a suspect through surveillance video
Officers at the scene of the stabbing. Officials said that the victim will not be identified until his family have been notified
This is the third stabbing to occur in New York City’s subway system this week
This is the third stabbing to occur in New York City’s subway system this week. On Tuesday, a 55-year-old man was stabbed in the back and punched in the face in an unprovoked attack at around 6:00 pm at Brooklyn’s Jay Street-Metrotech station.
That victim was hospitalized and said to be in stable condition.
While on the seven train in Queens, a rider was slashed in the face and hands around 8:30 am during the morning rush hour. That victim too was hospitalized in stable condition.
Crime is on the rise in New York City across the board. Mayor Adams pledged to crackdown on crime in the Big Apple, mentioning subway fare beating specifically
In January, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced that 1,000 more officers would be deployed in what is the nation’s largest subway system.
Violent crime has become endemic on New York City’s transport system in 2022.
Rape and robberies are up over 50% compared against the same time this year, according to the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s statistics. Meanwhile, felony assaults are up over 15% and grand larceny is up over 97%.
NYPD Transit Chief Jason Wilcox told the MTA board this past Monday that the increase in larcenies were mainly on overnight trains. Wilcox said that there have been many cases where riders fall asleep on the train and wake up with items missing, reports the New York Post.
According to statistics from the MTA, there were four assaults and 82 cases of harassment New York City’s transport employees in June alone
Wilcox added: ‘We are focusing on this type of crime. Our detectives are investigating these crimes. But we also ask riders to be more vigilant in this area when they travel the trains late at night.’
In total, compared to this time last year, transit crime citations are up 40%.
According to statistics from the MTA, there were four assaults and 82 cases of harassment New York City’s transport employees in June alone.
In 2022, there have been 35 assaults on subway trains and at stations on city employees.
While crime is up, subway ridership is also up nearly 35% on this time last year.
In June, it was announced that the NYPD was installing 100 hidden cameras on subway cars across the city.
The cameras are not monitored and do not transmit in real time but will be used as a back-up to help investigators establish evidence.
The selected trains are those where 53% of subway crimes occurred.
The suspect remains at large. Officials said that the victim will not be identified until his family have been notified