Gavin Ferguson, the man accused of brutally stabbing two strangers at Grand Central during rush hour, claimed that he lashed out because one of the victims stepped on his shoes, prosecutors revealed. The 30-year-old was arraigned on a top charge of attempted murder in Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday night in connection to the attack on two men on a southbound No. 5 train.
According to Assistant District Attorney Grace Snider, Ferguson initially denied being at the scene of the stabbings but later confessed to the violent act, citing the shoe-stepping incident as a sign of disrespect. The altercation began when Ferguson punched a 28-year-old man who had stepped aside to let him off the train. A fight ensued, during which Ferguson used a distinctive knife with a pink and purple handle to stab the man in the stomach.
When a 32-year-old man intervened to help the first victim escape, he too was stabbed in the stomach and buttocks by Ferguson. The second victim managed to dodge the attacker’s blows by jumping onto a bench in the train car. Both victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital and were in stable condition.
Ferguson fled the scene but was apprehended by police at his workplace several hours later, still carrying the distinctive knife. However, he had discarded the clothes he was wearing during the stabbings. Investigators identified Ferguson as a suspect after he dropped his phone at the scene and called it, requesting its return.
Despite Snider describing the attacks as unprovoked, Ferguson’s attorney, Paul D’Emilia, claimed that his client was jostled and spit upon by one of the individuals on the subway car, leading to a physical altercation. D’Emilia stated that Ferguson, a full-time plumber and U.S. citizen who has been in the country since he was 15, was repeatedly punched by the individuals and had to defend himself to escape the assault.
This incident marks Ferguson’s first encounter with the law, and he has multiple family members in the city. D’Emilia expressed confidence that Ferguson would be exonerated once the details of the assault on him were presented to the District Attorney. In addition to the attempted murder charge, Ferguson faces assault and attempted assault charges. Judge Louis L. Nock set his bail at $500,000 cash or $750,000 bond, despite prosecutors’ request for him to be held without bail.
Ferguson is scheduled to appear in court again on Monday and could face between 5 and 25 years in prison if convicted of the charges against him.
