MoMA Employees Stabbed By Disgruntled Patron, Police Say

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Patrons fled the Museum of Modern Art Saturday after two employees were stabbed by a man whose membership had been canceled, according to police and social media video.

The MoMA regular, denied entry to the West 53rd Street museum about 4:15 p.m., leaped over the reception desk and stabbed two women workers several times, according to John Miller, the NYPD's deputy commissioner for intelligence and counterterrorism.

Video posted to Twitter shows a "stampede of people fleeing" the museum, which was evacuated after the stabbing, according to a post from Alyssa Katz, an editor at THE CITY.

The man's membership had been revoked Friday after two recent instances of "disorderly conduct" at the museum, Miller said.

The MoMA regular stabbed the two women in the neck, back and collarbone before running away from the museum, Miller said.

Both women were rushed to Bellevue Hospital and are expected to survive, police said.

The suspect, who had not been arrested as of Saturday, wore a blue surgical mask and a black jacket with a colorful patterned shirt underneath, police said.

The man initially said he wanted to see a film at the museum, Miller said. It was not immediately clear whether his attack was pre-planned.

Mayor Eric Adams was briefed on the stabbing, which a spokesperson said was an "isolated, criminal incident."

Traffic delays, road closures and emergency personnel were expected in the area, the city said in an alert sent about 4:40 p.m.

Police shared photos of the man hours after the attack and asked anyone who could identify him to contact the NYPD.

This story was updated about 10:25 p.m.