Police: New York City Teenager Stabbed After Denying Gang Affiliation

A 16-year-old boy was attacked Tuesday by a group of teenagers at a Brooklyn, New York City, subway station.

The incident occurred at Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center Station when eight teens targeted the victim in a passageway, the New York Post reported.

The group passed by the victim, and one member asked “if he was a member of a gang,” according to New York Police Department (NYPD) Chief of Transit Michael Kemper.

Once the victim said he was not a member of a gang called Folk Nation, law enforcement said the group punched and kicked him over and over, then stabbed him three times with a “sharp object.”

The victim was stabbed twice in his torso and a single time in his armpit, and the group fled the scene afterward.

“WANTED ASSAULT: 10/3/23 @ 4:08 PM @NYPD78PCT inside the Atlantic Ave subway station,” NYPD Crime Stoppers said in a social media post on Wednesday.

“The unknown individuals approached the victim & asked if he was in a gang. The individuals then proceeded to assault the victim & stab him numerous times,” the agency explained.

WANTED ASSAULT: 10/3/23 @ 4:08 PM @NYPD78PCT inside the Atlantic Ave subway station. The unknown individuals approached the victim & asked if he was in a gang. The individuals then proceeded to assault the victim & stab him numerous times. Any info call us at 800-577-TIPS pic.twitter.com/uxN7EMozj8

— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) October 4, 2023

Social media users were quick to comment on the post, one individual writing, “If only we had some kind of task force focusing on just gangs? But I know that’s impossible in a city run by people who adore and coddle criminals.”

Following the incident, the victim found police officers and reported what happened. He was taken to a local hospital and later listed in stable condition.

The teenage victim was on his way home after school when the incident occurred, according to PIX 11 News.

“Year to date, subway crime is down more than eight percent, but police confirm there is a gang war happening in parts of Brooklyn,” the outlet said:

The victim’s father told PIX 11, “For him to get attacked like that, it’s sad. Come on, where’s the police at? It’s nerve-wracking. He’s afraid to go to school.”