Two employees of the Museum of Modern Art in New York were rushed to the hospital after getting stabbed by an attacker who was a former member of the museum in the heart of midtown Manhattan.
Investigators of the NYPD have identified the suspect in the attack of two women employees: a 60-year-old man whose membership got revoked a day earlier for two recent incidents of disorderly conduct.
According to Reuters' report, the suspect was trying to gain access to see a film screening late on Saturday afternoon in the museum but got denied.
When the man was barred from entry, he jumped over the reception desk out of frustration, and then stabbed two employees-- a woman and a man both 24 years old-- multiple times.One witness saw the attacker stab one employee in the back, the other one in the neck. The security guard came to pick up and threw a huge binder to the attacker.
When the suspect inquired about the security guard's gun, he was still carrying his knife as per The New York Times.
NYPD Deputy Commissioner John Miller has disclosed to the members of the press that the museum has sent to the suspect revoking his membership on Friday. Authorities believe that the attack was not random as the suspect was "known to employees" of the museum. Miller said that the suspect ran away but was caught on camera wearing a black jacket and a blue surgical mask.
As of present writing, the police are pursuing the culprit and have launched an investigation into the incident.
Attack Witnessed by Museum Visitors
On social media, users shared videos showing several people fleeing the museum due to the attack, per ABC News.
The New York Post published photos of the victims being transported outside the museum on gurneys to ambulances.
The City Deputy Editor Alyssa Kats tweeted that she was about to meet friends at the museum when she noticed "people running out."
Among the witnesses of the incident was David Dujerko from Chicago, who was inside the museum filled with visitors during a late winter storm the moment the attack occurred.
He said that the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) was suddenly announced as closed and "people started running." There was also panic on escalators and Dujerko heard people shouting to get out of the place "for your safety."
Isolated Incident
Minutes after the stabbing, Fabien Levy, press secretary of Mayor Eric Adams mentioned on Twitter that the mayor was briefed about the incident and mentioned that the attack on MoMA seems to be an "isolated" incident. He also announced that Adams is monitoring the situation.
Authorities also advised the public to refrain from going to the area near West 53rd Street and 6th Avenue, which were closed when the police responded.
MoMA, which opened in 1929, is one of the most popular museums in New York City. It is located on 53rd Street. It houses an evolving collection of almost 200,000 modern and contemporary artworks.
"At The Museum of Modern Art and MoMA PS1, we celebrate creativity, openness, tolerance, and generosity," its official website reads.