The East Village saw murderous mayhem on Sunday afternoon when a suspect stabbed three people, killing one of them, at what community residents call an “open-air drug market” that has been a problem for years.
Officers from the 9th Precinct rushed to a chaotic and bloody crime scene at around 5:53 p.m. on June 23 that stretched from 14th Street and Avenue A to 13th Street and 1st Avenue. Local residents have said the area has been plagued by homelessness and an illegal market where drug-dependent individuals sell goods on the street.
According to police sources, the three wounded victims were stabbed during a brawl that broke out at the location. Cops say a 31-year-old man was stabbed in the back, a 52-year-old female was stabbed in the leg, and a third, unidentified man was stabbed in the neck.
“I saw a woman with stab marks get taken away, there was blood everywhere. I saw two people get carried away on a stretcher,” eyewitness Anders Rohrer cried. “It’s broad daylight on a Sunday.”
The incident occurred less than one block from Immaculate Conception Church, while afternoon Mass was underway. Blood was left smeared all over the crime scene between trash bags overflowing with junk.
All three victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital, where the woman and 31-year-old man are in stable condition. The 38-year-old man died a short time later; police have not yet released his identity.
Meanwhile, a 30-year-old man was taken into custody for questioning; a knife was also recovered at the scene .
Darren Chang said he was sleeping and woke up to see the fight unfold.
“I woke up and saw some people fighting outside, one woman gets pushed on the street and got punched by the guy that got arrested,” Chang said.
“I see people selling drugs, people shooting up between their toes daily. People need a lot of help here,” Rohrer added. “It’s an open-air drug market.”
amNewYork Metro first documented this East Village block-long flea market filled with junk and drugs back in October 2020. While the NYPD made periodic sweeps over the area, the issue remains four years later. Leaving locals to fear a street they once considered a family-oriented community.
A local fruit vendor agreed, telling amNewYork Metro that things have gotten out of hand in the area and is begging for a change.
“Since COVID, this block has been overcome with homeless people selling sh*t they find in donation bins, selling food they get from food banks, selling trash they collect from the street — the 9th Precinct and city has a whole has done nothing about it,” said Emre Sevindiak, 23.
“I lived here my whole life,” Sevindiak said, recalling how safe the East Village block that once housed a post office used to be. “These hounds are here, and they stab each other up, and what if [my father] gets hurt, what if my mother gets hurt. My mother can’t walk down this street safely.”
As police investigated the street corner, one unhinged illegal vendor became irate over the crime scene while blocked access to her belongings. She began screaming that she was going to stab someone as she ripped away at the tape before fleeing the area.
