QUEENS, N.Y. (PIX11) — At least five people have been stabbed in a spree of random attacks in Queens, police officials said Wednesday.
The first known stabbing in the spree happened on Jan. 8, with the last three attacks happening within one hour Wednesday morning. The stabbing victims include four men and a woman. All of the victims are expected to survive their injuries, according to police. Authorities believe the same man is responsible for all the attacks.
“We have an unidentified individual who is walking around the street randomly stabbing people with a hunting knife. There is no connection to the individuals, and it seems to be unprovoked,” NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said.
A 34-year-old woman was stabbed from behind just after midnight Tuesday near 158th Street and 134th Avenue in Springfield Gardens, according to the NYPD. The victim was stabbed after she got off a bus while coming home from work, authorities said.
“He followed me, and as I was approaching my house, he stabbed me,” the 34-year-old victim said. “I really got lucky with the layers that I had on. I didn’t know the knife was that big. And seeing pictures come up in the media, I saw that it could’ve done a lot more damage.”
Two men were also stabbed in back-to-back incidents in Springfield Gardens Wednesday morning, according to authorities. A 74-year-old man was stabbed once in the back while walking with his wife on 134th Avenue at 7:29 a.m., police said. The suspect ran up from behind and stabbed the victim without saying a word, according to police.
About five minutes later, a 41-year-old man was stabbed in his abdomen while trying to move his car to a legal spot on 161st Street, according to police.
Around 25 minutes later, a 36-year-old man was stabbed after getting into an argument with the suspect on an MTA bus, police said. The suspect stabbed the victim once after they both got off the bus at Parsons Boulevard and Archer Avenue in Jamaica, according to authorities.
Last week on Jan. 8, a 61-year-old man was stabbed once in the lower back while walking at the intersection of 137th Avenue and 157th Street in Springfield Gardens around 6:20 p.m., police said. The victim was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Investigators believe the same man is behind all of the attacks, sources said.
Police described the suspect as being a slim man in his 20s around 5’6″. He was last seen wearing a dark gray jacket, black pants, black shoes, and a blue mask, according to authorities.
“These are senseless, unprovoked attacks, and the NYPD is working around the clock to identify and locate the person responsible and to stop this violence,” NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban said.
Additionally, a man was stabbed on a northbound J train in Williamsburg, Brooklyn Wednesday morning, according to authorities. However, police are still investigating whether it was the same suspect in the Queens stabbings.
Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
