Two employees of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York were rushed to a hospital in Midtown Manhattan Saturday, March 12, after they were attacked and stabbed by a male suspect at the museum.
The incident occurred at 4:15pm Saturday, when a 60-year-old man who was identified as Gary Cabana barged into the museum and stabbed the two workers multiple times, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD). Both employees are in stable condition at Manhattan’s Bellevue Hospital.
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In a press briefing outside the museum Saturday evening, NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller said that the suspect was a regular MoMA patron whose membership was revoked Friday due to “two incidents involving disorderly conduct” at the museum on different dates.
“He became upset about not being allowed entrance and then jumped over the reception desk and proceeded to attack and stab two employees of the museum,” Miller said, adding that police is still searching for the suspect.
MoMA has not yet responded to Hyperallergic’s immediate request for comment. The museum remained closed on Sunday, March 13, announcing on Twitter that tickets will be refunded or rescheduled.
The wounded employees were stabbed in the back, the collarbone, and the back of the neck, Miller said. Their injuries are not life-threatening, he added.
The museum was evacuated immediately after the incident and residents were asked to avoid the area. Several museum visitors described a chaotic evacuation scene, with some reporting a “stampede.”
Fabian Levy, a spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams, said on Twitter that the attack “appears to be an isolated, criminal incident.”
“The mayor will continue to monitor the situation and the progress of the two victims,” Levy added.
This is a developing story and will be updated as new information is available.
Source: Hyperallergic.com