Saturday morning inside one of New York City’s busiest transit hubs turned into a scene of fear and confusion when a man armed with a machete attacked three unsuspecting commuters, forcing police into a deadly confrontation that ended with the suspect shot and killed.
It happened around 9:40 a.m. at the 42nd Street–Grand Central subway station, a place usually packed with travelers moving in every direction. Instead, panic spread quickly as reports of a man slashing people began to surface. Within minutes, officers rushed in and found the suspect acting erratically, shouting that he was “Lucifer,” according to officials.
Police said they tried to calm the situation. Officers gave the man repeated commands to drop the weapon—more than 20 times—but he refused. The tension only grew as he continued to hold the machete and moved in a threatening way, leaving officers with little room to safely contain the situation.
Authorities say the violence started on one platform, where the suspect attacked a victim before moving upstairs and targeting two more people. The attacks appeared random, adding to the fear among commuters who suddenly found themselves in the middle of something they never expected.
The victims—a group that included an 84-year-old man, a 65-year-old man, and a 70-year-old woman—were left injured but alive. One man suffered deep cuts to his head and face. Another endured similar wounds, along with an open skull fracture. The woman was treated for a laceration to her shoulder. Despite the severity of some injuries, all were expected to survive.
The confrontation reached its breaking point when the suspect advanced toward officers with the machete still in hand. In that moment, an officer fired two shots, striking the man. He was rushed to Bellevue Hospital but did not survive. Police later identified him as 44-year-old Anthony Griffin.
For those inside the station, the experience was overwhelming. Witnesses described hearing gunshots echo through the tunnels as crowds scrambled toward exits. Some dropped everything just to get out. Train service was halted for hours, leaving the station unusually still after the chaos.
As investigators continue piecing together what led to the attack, the incident leaves behind a lingering sense of unease. For many New Yorkers, it was a stark reminder that even the most familiar places can suddenly turn unpredictable.
