Social justice advocate Ryan Carson may have been killed on a Brooklyn street Monday night by an incensed suspect who kicked nearby mopeds and had been embroiled in some kind of domestic argument, police said Wednesday.
According to Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny, Carson, 32, was chatting with his girlfriend Claudia Morales at a bus stop just before 4 a.m. on Oct. 2 at the corner of Lafayette Avenue and Malcolm X Boulevard when his would-be killer approached.
Moments later, Carson walked Morales to her home when the suspect began to violently kick mopeds a few feet away. The perpetrator then turned his attention to Carson, and accused him of staring, officials said.
“Mr. Carson immediately places himself between the male and his female companion to protect her,” Chief Kenny said. “Mr. Carson immediately tries to de-escalate the situation. This male then produces a knife and swings at Mr. Carson.”
Carson tripped and fell to the ground during the attack, after which the assailant stabbed him in the chest three times; the fatal thrust, police said, pierced Carson’s heart.
Unfortunately, the assault didn’t end there. Even as Carson laid dying, authorities said, the perpetrator spit at her and threatened to stab her as well. He ultimately fled the scene.
“An unidentified female then arrives on the scene and begins to apologize to the couple, and she mutters the name Brian,” Chief Kenny said.
According to Kenny, this woman is believed to be the suspect’s girlfriend; moments before the stabbing, the chief told amNewYork Metro, the assailant had been seen with the woman, and acting very agitated — indicating that the pair had been in some kind of argument that sent the perpetrator into a fit of rage.
“We have received several leads in regards to this case and have developed a suspect,” Chief Kenny added. “Detectives are working with our partners in the Kings County District Attorney’s office and we are trying to establish probable cause to make this arrest.”
The sheer brutality of the murder has rocked the Big Apple, with Mayor Eric Adams calling the death “unthinkable” when posting on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Ryan Carson turned his passion into purpose. He advocated tirelessly for others, and his giving spirit was a buoy to all. His murder is unthinkable, and the NYPD won’t rest until we bring him to justice. I’m praying for all who knew and loved Ryan,” Adams wrote.
Carson was a social justice advocate who most recently worked as Senior Solid Waste Campaign Manager at New York Public Interest Research Group. In 2021, Carson created the No OD NY campaign and lobbied for safe injection sites to combat overdoses.
A GoFundMe account has been established to help pay for Carson’s funeral.
As for his killer, police ask anyone with information regarding the suspect’s whereabouts to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
