Updated: April 11, 2026 / 11:40 PM EDT
A man armed with a large knife described by police as a machete slashed three people at Grand Central Terminal on Saturday morning before being shot and killed by NYPD officers, authorities said.
The suspect was identified as 44-year-old Anthony Griffin. Police said officers were alerted by a civilian and found a slashing victim on the 4/5/6 platform at Grand Central–42nd Street at about 9:40 a.m. Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Griffin was “behaving erratically,” repeatedly saying he was “Lucifer,” and refused repeated orders to drop the weapon.
Tisch said officers gave at least 20 commands to drop the knife and attempted de-escalation, including offering help, before Griffin advanced toward them. One officer fired two shots; Griffin was taken to Bellevue Hospital and pronounced dead. No officers were injured. The entire encounter was recorded on body-worn camera, and the NYPD said it is conducting an internal investigation.
Police said Griffin first boarded a Manhattan-bound 7 train at Vernon Boulevard in Queens around 9:30 a.m. When the train reached Grand Central, he slashed an 84-year-old man on the platform. He then went upstairs to the 4/5/6 platform and attacked a 65-year-old man and a 70-year-old woman. All three victims were hospitalized with serious injuries but were not expected to face life-threatening conditions; one suffered a skull fracture and severe lacerations. Authorities believe the attacks were random and said the victims did not know each other.
Officials said Griffin had three prior arrests. Transit service was disrupted while investigators worked the scene; the NYPD advised people to avoid the area and the MTA said 4, 5, 6 and 7 trains bypassed Grand Central temporarily, with passengers offered bus vouchers. Service later resumed.
Tisch noted the department has increased its transit presence, adding more than 175 officers to subway patrols. Transit advocate Charlton D’Souza of Passengers United urged more on-site mental health resources and clinicians to help people in crisis and reduce trauma that deters riders. Mayor Zohran Mamdani thanked responding officers and said body-camera footage will be released. Gov. Kathy Hochul said she had been briefed and expressed gratitude for the quick police response.
Andrew Ramos and Kristie Keleshian contributed to this report.
