Stabbing spree leaves two men dead and one woman in critical condition in Central New York

Two people were killed and one wounded at the hands of a criminal who carried out a series of stabbings in Manhattan on Monday. The attacker, a homeless man with at least eight previous arrests, was identified and taken into custody by police according to New York Police Department Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny.

As reported by the New York Times, Mayor Adams told a news briefing, "Today, we have three innocent New Yorkers, just going about their lives, who were the victim of a terrible, terrible assault," adding that "It is a clear, clear example of the criminal justice system, mental health system that continues to fail New Yorkers."

Investigators do not know the motive for the attack, which occurred in a span of two and a half hours.

The first stabbing, on West 19th Street, killed a construction worker who was near the Hudson River shortly before 8:30 a.m. Two hours later, on the other side of Manhattan, a 68-year-old man was attacked while fishing in the East River. Both men died.

Later, the attacker headed north and stabbed a 36-year-old woman near the United Nations headquarters on East 42nd Street. The victim has been hospitalized and is in critical condition.

The suspect, a resident of the Bellevue men's shelter, was arrested at East 46th Street and First Avenue, authorities said.