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Upper West Side stabbing probed as hate crime after 'Allahu Akbar' shout
Fox News • • general
Key Points:
- Raul Morales, 51, is accused of stabbing two men on Manhattan’s Upper West Side while yelling "Allahu Akbar," prompting an NYPD investigation into a possible hate crime targeting a Jewish and an Asian victim.
- The attacks occurred separately but nearby, with no known connection between Morales and the victims or between the victims themselves; both men were hospitalized in stable condition.
- Witnesses described the scene as terrifying, with one victim stabbed in the chest by a screwdriver and another seen with a knife embedded, highlighting the severity of the assaults.
- Initial NYPD findings suggest mental health may have played a role in Morales' actions, though he has no known prior mental health history with law enforcement.
- New York officials, including Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul, condemned the attacks, emphasizing that such hate crimes have no place in the city and pledging support for the Jewish community.
