Stabbing Spree Near Meatpacking Apple Store

A wild stabbing spree took place outside of the Apple Store downtown, police said.

The surprising streak of violence took place at around 6 p.m., in the Meatpacking District.  Four people were stabbed, although none of the injuries appear to be life-threatening.

"This guy's skinny but let me tell you he was like a madman," said witness Fernando Gonzalez.  "He was so strong.  It took five or six people just to get him down until police got here."

According to witnesses, it all started inside the Solstice Sunglasses store on Ninth Avenue at 14th Street.  A man who witnesses described as being "sweaty with red eyes" stabbed a worker inside the store with a pocket knife.  Witnesses say he then chased another store employee to the restaurant next door.

One witness told NBCNewYork: "My friend and I were sitting in The Diner restaurant when 2 people ran inside screaming. The 'stabber' followed but he didn't open the door. Instead, he threw a chair at the window and broke the glass."

One restaurant worker who declined to give his name said the man would have ran into the restaurant if the door had not gotten stuck.  Instead the worker saw the man run across the street to an outdoor plaza where a Sunset Salsa event was about to take place.  There, he stabbed several others.

"He stabbed one guy in the shoulder, one guy in the abdomen, another guy got stabbed in the face," according to Gonzalez who was at the plaza for the salsa event.  "Then he ran over to the DJ booth, knocked over the DJ's equipment.  The DJ hit him with a table and when we saw what was happening, a bunch of us ran over and started to hit him with folding chairs to get him to stop."

One man who was outside the Apple store on 14th Street ran over to the plaza when he thought a man was being attacked.

"I saw a bunch of guys slamming chairs at this guy and I thought he was the victim," he said. "But when I walked over I saw him holding a bloody knife and other people holding their wounds.  It was crazy."

Witnesses say the when police arrived, it took several officers to take the stabber into custody.  Police say the armed man was arrested and brought to an area hospital along with his four stabbing victims. 

It was unclear what motive he may have had for the attacks.

All the victims were hospitalized, but none of their wounds appeared to be life threatening, cops said.
 

Contact Us