‘Lucifer’ Unleashes Bloody Slashing Rampage Inside Grand Central Station

A man armed with a machete stabbed three people inside Grand Central Terminal in New York City on Saturday morning before being shot and killed by police after a prolonged confrontation on one of the busiest transit platforms in the country.

Police identified the suspect as Anthony Griffin, 44, who allegedly carried out the attacks after entering the subway system in Queens and traveling into Midtown Manhattan.

According to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, the sequence of events began around 9:30 a.m., when Griffin entered the subway at the Vernon Boulevard station in Queens and boarded a 7 train bound for Grand Central. Once there, he launched his first attack on an 84-year-old man on the 7 train platform, inflicting what Tisch described as “significant lacerations to the head and the face.”

Griffin then moved upstairs to the 4, 5, and 6 train platforms, where the violence continued. A 65-year-old man suffered similar injuries along with an open skull fracture, while a 70-year-old woman was slashed in the shoulder.

All three victims were transported to Bellevue Hospital. Police said their injuries, while serious, are not believed to be life-threatening.

At approximately 9:40 a.m., officers assigned to transit duty were flagged down by a civilian reporting that a man armed with a knife had just stabbed multiple people. As officers moved toward the 4, 5, 6 platforms, they encountered one of the victims coming up the stairs, confirming the attack. From the top of the stairs, officers observed Griffin on the platform and immediately ordered him to drop the weapon.

“The individual was armed with a large knife described as a machete and was behaving erratically, repeatedly stating that he was ‘Lucifer,’” Tisch said during a press conference.

This was the weapon recovered at the scene. pic.twitter.com/J1gxyECKm3

— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) April 11, 2026

Police issued at least 20 commands for Griffin to drop the weapon. Tisch said officers also attempted to de-escalate the situation, telling him, “We are going to get you help.”

The standoff lasted roughly ten minutes, according to law enforcement sources.

Griffin refused to comply. “He then advanced toward the officers with the knife extended,” Tisch said. “One officer discharged his firearm, striking the perpetrator twice.” Officers immediately began performing life-saving measures at the scene before Griffin was transported to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

“Our officers were confronted with an armed individual who had already injured multiple people and was continuing to pose a threat,” Tisch said. “They gave clear commands. They attempted to de-escalate, and when that threat did not stop, they took decisive action to stop it and to protect New Yorkers on one of the busiest train platforms in the city.”

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he had been briefed on the incident shortly after it occurred and praised the response by law enforcement. “I’m grateful to the NYPD for their quick response and for preventing additional violence,” Mamdani posted on X. “The three victims were taken to the hospital and are thankfully in stable condition.”

The incident caused immediate disruption inside Grand Central, with yellow police tape blocking entrances and multiple subway lines diverted as officers secured the scene and began their investigation. Authorities said the entire encounter was captured on body-worn cameras, and the NYPD is expected to release that footage as part of its standard review process for officer-involved shootings.

Officials also noted that Griffin had three prior arrests, but no documented history of being classified as an emotionally disturbed person by the department. Tisch emphasized the challenges officers face in moments like this, particularly in a crowded transit hub. “Incidents like this show the reality of this work,” she said. “Officers step into situations where the risks are immediate and the stakes are high. They make decisions in tight spaces in real time with lives around them.”

The commissioner added that the NYPD has recently increased its presence in the subway system, deploying more than 175 additional officers to transit patrol in recent weeks, alongside existing overtime posts. “Their focus is on preventing violence and responding immediately when something happens, just as they did today,” Tisch said. “They work to ensure that the millions of people who ride our subways each day can do so safely.”

The investigation remains ongoing.