New York City is grappling with shock and grief after three people were killed in a series of unprovoked stabbing on Monday morning. A 51-year-old homeless man, Ramon Rivera, has been charged with three counts of murder, as per a CBC Report.
He was apprehended shortly after the third attack, with police recovering two large, bloodied kitchen knives and clothing stained with blood at the scene of his arrest.
New York Mayor Eric Adams expressed outrage over what he called a failure of the city’s systems to prevent such violence. “Three innocent New Yorkers who were simply going about their lives were victims of terrible, unprovoked assaults. This is a glaring example of a criminal justice system, a mental health system that continues to fail New Yorkers,” he said..
Random, Unprovoked Attacks
The violence began at approximately 8:30 a.m. in Chelsea on 19th Street between Ninth and 10th Avenues. The first victim, a 36-year-old construction worker, was fatally stabbed in the abdomen outside the Chelsea Club.
Surveillance footage shows Rivera putting down a bag, changing into a hoodie and gloves, and pulling out a knife before the sudden attack. Elton Wells, a witness who lives nearby, said he recognized the suspect as someone frequently seen yelling in the area.
Two hours later, at East 30th Street, a second victim, a 68-year-old Asian man, was stabbed multiple times while fishing. The third attack occurred 25 minutes later at 42nd Street and First Avenue, near the United Nations.
The victim, a 36-year-old Black woman, was repeatedly stabbed and later died at Weill Cornell Medical Center. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny confirmed that all three attacks appeared to be entirely unprovoked, with no words exchanged or property stolen.
The stabbing ended when a nearby cabdriver who saw the third stabbing followed the attacker and alerted a police officer in New York. The attacker was then taken into custody by the New York Police, as per a New York Times Report.
Troubled Past
Rivera has a long history with law enforcement, including eight prior arrests—seven of them felonies—for charges such as grand larceny and assaulting a police officer. Police sources revealed that Rivera, who was living in a homeless shelter, has a history of mental health issues.
He had at least two interactions with the NYPD last year related to his mental illness. Mayor Adams questioned why someone with such a record was still on the streets, stating, “This raises serious questions about our system’s ability to protect New Yorkers.”
Rivera’s arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday. As the city mourns the loss of three innocent lives, the incident has reignited urgent discussions about addressing systemic flaws in the criminal justice and mental health systems.
