Beloved Community Organizer Ryan Carson Slain In Bed-Stuy: Friends

BED-STUY, NY — A beloved New York City organizer, known for his environmental advocacy and work to end drug overdoses, was fatally stabbed Monday while waiting for a bus in Bed-Stuy, according to reports and loved ones.

Ryan Carson, 32, was stabbed in the chest multiple times about 3:55 a.m. near Lafayette Avenue and Malcolm X Boulevard, according to the NYPD.

He was waiting for the bus with his girlfriend, who watched a stranger attack Carson on their way home from a wedding, according to the New York Daily News.

Carson was pronounced dead shortly after at a nearby hospital, police said.

"Ryan was the kindest, funniest, and hardest working man in advocacy," said state Assembly Member Emily Gallagher. "He put his whole heart into making the world a safer place for all people."

Loved ones and colleagues on Monday remembered Carson as a tireless advocate known for bold action. He was most recently working for New York Public Interest Research Group and created No OD NY, a campaign to fight overdose deaths in New York, Gallagher said.

"Ryan was a dedicated environmental advocate who worked tirelessly to protect our communities and ecosystems from the climate crisis," said City Council Member Sandy Nurse.

Beyond his work, loved ones noted Carson as a loving friend and creative thinker.

"Ryan was also an accomplished poet, a deep, sensitive thinker and a whole lot of fun," Gallagher said.

Over 100 people joined Carson's parents at Herbert Von King Park for a vigil Monday — just days before Carson's 32nd birthday, according to the Daily News.

“I don’t think it’s at all an exaggeration to say that it’s a big loss for the city,” Ari Farrell, a friend of Carson, told the Daily News.