One of the five victims from Tuesday's attack in Riverside Park was reunited with his one-year-old son who he tried to protect from the assailant, the New York Daily News reported.
After James Fayette, 35, was stabbed with scissors by Justin Graham, a mentally ill homeless man, he immediately tried to shield his son, Luke. Although Graham ended up hitting the infant boy, he remained less injured than his father.
Fayette was immediately taken to St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital to treat his wounds after the incident and arrived home on Thursday. Although it was a frightening experience, he said it won't stop him from taking his son to the park.
"I don't think I'll be up to it tomorrow, but as soon as I am up to it, we'll be back in the park," he said.
"All things considered, I'm very short of breath," Fayette added. "I got to take it real gentle. I expect to recover, and I'll be back doing what I do."
The protective father doesn't consider himself a hero for sacrificing himself in front of Graham.
"To protect my son, I just did what any dad would do," he said. "It was just a crazy, one-time event."
Graham attacked three other people on Tuesday, including another man and two women. First responders said everyone was expected to survive but mentioned one woman was in critical condition.
The disturbed homeless man was taken to Bellevue Hospital for an evaluation and the park was closed following the attack.
Geoffrey Croft, a spokesman for New York City Park Advocates, referred to the attack as an example of a "troubling trend" of violence in parks across the city, mentioning a recent attack on a mother pushing her child in a stroller by a different homeless man in Fort Tryon Park.
Additionally, two bicyclists were attacked one week apart along the Hudson River in August near 163rd Street while two people were stabbed south of 60th Street.
An advocacy group has been working to enforce more park security for years, Croft added.
