Man stabs two in New York, police evaluating for potential hate crime

NEW YORK – Two people were stabbed on July 23 in New York by a man who shouted “Allahu akbar” (“God is the greatest” in Arabic) during the attacks before being apprehended, officials said.

The two victims, who were targeted in separate attacks near Manhattan’s Central Park, were “an Asian male and a Jewish male”, New York City police commissioner Jessica Tisch said on X, adding that they were both hospitalised and “expected to survive”.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) arrested the suspect, identified as 51-year-old Raul Morales.

“Detectives are continuing to work the case and determine motive, but according to victim and witness statements, Morales yelled ‘Allahu akbar’ during both attacks,” Tisch said. “The NYPD is currently evaluating whether this is a potential hate crime.”

Tisch added that the suspect has no record of psychiatric illness in police records.

But New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani noted in a separate X post that “the initial investigation suggests that mental health may have been a factor”.

“These hateful and despicable attacks have no place in our city,” Mamdani said, adding both victims were in “stable condition”. AFP