Author Salman Rushdie is helped by people after he was stabbed at the Chautauqua
Author Salman Rushdie is helped by people after he was stabbed at the ChautauquaCharles Savenor/LOCAL NEWS X/TMX/via REUTERS

Indian-born author Salman Rushdie may lose the use of an eye after being stabbed multiple times during a speaking event on Friday.

He was taken to hospital care by helicopter and treated for stab wounds to his liver, arm, and one eye. He was being kept on a ventilator as of Friday night.

The suspect in the attack, Hadi Matar, 24, of Fairview, New Jersey, was arrested at the scene by a state trooper. He is charged with attempted murder in the second degree and assault in the second degree, and was remanded without bail.

ABC News reports that authorities found evidence of allegiance to Shi'a extremism and the Iranian regime on social media and electronics belonging to the suspect. Iranian institutions and leaders have called for Rushdie's death for some time, including issuing a bounty of $3.3 million USD.

The investigation into the attack is still underway and has expanded to include the FBI. Police believe the suspect was acting alone, and are in the process of obtaining search warrants for devices the suspect was carrying at the time.

Prime Minister Yair Lapid commented on the attack on Salman Rushdie: "The attack on Salman Rushdie is an attack on our freedoms and values. It is the result of decades of incitement led by the extremist regime in Tehran. On behalf of the people of Israel, we wish him a full and speedy recovery."