A 38-year-old man was fatally stabbed to death on a Manhattan subway platform Friday morning (local time) after an argument over a stepped-on shoe turned violent, police said.
The victim, identified as John Sheldon of Brooklyn, was attacked around 8:30 am at the Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall station. According to police, Sheldon and another man began arguing aboard a downtown No. 5 train after the assailant stepped on Sheldon’s shoes. The confrontation escalated, and Sheldon was stabbed once on the train and again after both men exited at the station.
Officers responding to a 911 call found Sheldon unconscious on the platform with multiple stab wounds to his torso. He was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The suspect, believed to be in his 20s or 30s and dressed in black with black headphones, fled the scene. Authorities said the men did not know each other. No arrests have been made as of Friday afternoon, and the investigation remains ongoing.
The killing comes amid heightened scrutiny of safety on the subway system, following recent high-profile assaults. Although overall crime in the subway has declined this year, the incident may fuel lingering concerns among riders.
“A lot of the time I would rather take a 30- or 40-minute walk just because once you’re in there and it’s moving, you can’t really get out,” said Elizabeth Daley, a 20-year-old commuter waiting on the uptown platform.
Others expressed resignation to the dangers of urban transit. “Obviously it freaks me out, but it’s New York. It’s a normal thing,” said Jonathan Ricket, a 19-year-old college student. “I’m just glad I didn’t see it.”
According to Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, there had been no homicides in the subway system from January through March—marking the first such stretch in seven years. Major subway crimes were also down 18% in the first quarter, and overall transit crime is nearly 11% lower compared to the same period last year.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, currently in a standoff with the Trump administration over crime-related funding, has maintained that the system is safer due to an increased police presence.
Still, with Friday’s stabbing, officials may face renewed public pressure to address safety concerns more aggressively.
