A Jewish man was stabbed in broad daylight Tuesday afternoon in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn in what police are investigating as a possible antisemitic attack, occurring on the third night of Hanukkah.
According to the NYPD, the 35-year-old victim was attacked following what authorities described as a “seemingly random” verbal altercation. Investigators are examining reports that the suspect made antisemitic remarks during the encounter, including statements expressing support for another Holocaust.
The attacker stabbed the victim once in the chest before fleeing the scene. Despite his injury, the victim reportedly followed the suspect for an additional block before the assailant managed to escape. He was transported to Kings County Hospital Center, where he was listed in stable condition. His name was not released.
Crown Heights Shomrim volunteers assisted police in an immediate search, and the NYPD announced that dozens of additional officers were deployed to the neighborhood as part of an ongoing manhunt. Authorities released images of the suspect, who was last seen wearing a black varsity-style jacket with the word “Genuine” on the back and the number “91” printed on one sleeve, along with jeans.
The stabbing came one day after another antisemitic incident in New York City, when Jewish students were threatened on a subway train after a Hanukkah celebration in Union Square. Police stressed that the two incidents are not believed to be connected.
Community leaders expressed concern over the attack and called for increased vigilance and law enforcement presence amid a rise in antisemitic incidents.