Who is Anthony Griffin? New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemns 5 incidents involving stabbing suspect at Grand Central Terminal

In a post on X, Mamdani expressed gratitude to the NYPD for its quick response and preventing further unrest.

“I have been informed of an incident that occurred this morning at Grand Central Station. Reports indicate that a man struck three people with a machete on the platform. When the man did not drop the machete, officers opened fire. He has since been pronounced dead,” he wrote, adding, “I am grateful to the NYPD for their quick response and preventing further violence. The three victims were transported to the hospital and are thankfully in stable condition. The NYPD is conducting an internal investigation and will release body camera footage, as it does with all incidents involving police shootings.”

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According to the New York Post , the suspect allegedly assaulted individuals in the busy transportation hub before being questioned and shot by responding police.

Authorities have not released full details of the suspect’s background, but preliminary reports and witness statements reveal several key aspects of the case.

Just ten minutes before the attack, Griffin boarded a No. 7 train at Vernon Avenue Station in Queens, bound for Grand Central Station.

2. Called himself “Lucifer” when the incident occurred. Griffin allegedly called himself “Lucifer,” according to preliminary accounts cited in media reports.

“The individual was armed with a large knife described as a machete and was acting erratically, repeatedly claiming to be Lucifer,” Police Chief Jessica Tish said at a news conference.

3. Griffin uses a machete as a weapon. Reports say Griffin attacked three elderly people with a machete. Tisch said Griffin disobeyed the orders of officers at the scene. She said: “They observed the man on the platform from the top of the stairs and immediately ordered him to drop the knife.”

She further added that despite “at least 20 commands to drop the knife,” Griffin still refused to obey and continued to advance toward the officers with the machete.

4. Griffin was shot and killed by police at the scene. After Griffin allegedly assaulted an individual inside the terminal, officers opened fire to neutralize the threat.

Tisch clarified at a news conference that an officer “shot the perpetrator twice” in an attempt to deescalate the situation.

Griffin was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where authorities said he was pronounced dead a short time later.

5. Griffin had been arrested three times before the Grand Central Station incident. According to Tisch, Griffin had been arrested three times before but had no record of being an emotionally disturbed person (EDP) reported to the NYPD.

The New York Post reported that one of his previous crimes was threatening others with sharp objects.