Two Men Stabbed on Upper West Side in Possible Hate Crimes

Two men were stabbed in separate attacks on Manhattan’s Upper West Side on Thursday afternoon in what police are investigating as possible hate crimes, with the suspect taken into custody and charges still pending. The attacks, which occurred just blocks apart, targeted an Asian man and a Jewish man within the span of an hour.

The violence unfolded around 2:30 p.m. on July 23, 2026, according to local reporting by West Side Rag. Chok Sung, 57, an Asian man, was stabbed in the torso with a knife near West 84th Street and Central Park West. Shortly afterward, Moshe Yezhak Grunhaus, 50, a Jewish man, was stabbed in the torso with a screwdriver near Amsterdam Avenue and West 86th Street — approximately two blocks from the first attack. Grunhaus had just attended Tisha B’Av prayers at the nearby Jewish Center on West 86th Street.

Both victims were transported to a local hospital in stable condition and are expected to recover.

The Suspect

Police identified and apprehended Raul Morales, 51, after he barricaded himself inside a building at Amsterdam Avenue and West 88th Street. Authorities confirmed Morales was taken into custody without further incident. As of Friday, he had not yet appeared before a judge and no charges had been announced.

Morales has seven prior arrests, CBS News New York reported. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated that there are no known links between Morales and either victim, adding that while the suspect has no known mental health history with the NYPD, the preliminary investigation suggests mental health may have been a factor.

Commissioner Tisch confirmed that victim and witness statements indicate Morales shouted “Allahu Akbar” during both attacks. The NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force is leading the investigation.

Community and Official Response

The attacks drew swift condemnation from city and state leaders. Governor Kathy Hochul said she was “disgusted by what appears to be another senseless attack on New Yorkers simply because they’re Jewish,” as reported by News12 Brooklyn, adding that “New York will stand with our Jewish community today, tomorrow, and always.” Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the attacks “horrifying” in a social media statement.

On Friday, a unity rally against hate was held outside The Jewish Center on West 86th Street, bringing together members of the Jewish and Asian communities alongside elected officials. New York Attorney General Letitia James spoke at the rally, noting that “antisemitic acts have been growing in the City of New York” and that “acts against the Asian community have also been on the increase.” Council Member Susan Zhuang said, “It’s not only just one Jewish member and one Asian member getting attacked. It’s an attack on every single one of us.”

The stabbings occurred one day after Mayor Mamdani called on the White House to consider arresting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he were to visit New York, a statement that drew sharp criticism from some Jewish community leaders. While investigators have not suggested any connection between the mayor’s comments and the attacks, several prominent Jewish leaders linked the rhetoric to a broader climate of hostility.

Eric Goldstein, CEO of UJA-Federation of New York, said, “Mayor Mamdani, stop fanning the flames of hatred and division. The consequences are not abstract. They’re playing out on our streets.” Mark Treyger, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, added, “No elected official is responsible for every act of hate, but every leader is responsible for helping shape the climate in which we all live.”

Hate Crime Trends in New York City

The attacks come amid a documented rise in bias-motivated incidents across the city. NYC Comptroller Mark Levine noted that while the Jewish population makes up no more than 12% of the city’s residents, they are victims in more than half of all reported hate crimes, as Fox5NY reported.

Mayor Mamdani’s May 2026 budget included a $26 million expansion of the Office of Hate Crime Prevention, a nearly nine-fold increase in funding.

What’s Next

The investigation remains ongoing as authorities evaluate whether to file hate crime charges against Morales. Key questions remain unanswered: What motivated the attacker? Will the case be officially classified as a hate crime? And what policy responses might emerge from the incident?

For now, both victims are recovering from their injuries, and a city is once again confronting the intersecting challenges of bias-motivated violence, mental health, and public safety.