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A violent incident at Grand Central Terminal has left the community in shock after a man wielding a machete attacked three senior citizens before being fatally shot by police. The attacker, identified as Anthony Griffin, reportedly carried the weapon for self-defense, according to a family friend.
Deborah Brown, a close associate of Griffin’s family, expressed disbelief over the allegations against him. Despite acknowledging Griffin’s struggles with mental health and his habit of carrying a machete, Brown insisted on seeing evidence of his involvement in the attack. “If he did do that—they’re saying he did this—I want to see proof of it,” Brown, who is the mother of Griffin’s long-time partner, stated in an interview with News12 aired on Sunday.
The New York Police Department reported that officers were forced to shoot Griffin after he assaulted three people on the uptown 4, 5, 6 subway platform shortly before 10 a.m. on Saturday. Griffin allegedly ignored repeated commands to drop his weapon, leading to the fatal confrontation.
The victims of Griffin’s attack include an 85-year-old man and a 65-year-old man, both of whom suffered severe lacerations. A 70-year-old woman was also injured, sustaining a slash to her shoulder, according to police reports.
Griffin’s attack left deep cuts to an 85-year-old man and a 65-year-old man, cops said. He also slashed slashing a 70-year-old woman’s shoulder, police said.
Brown said she first heard from her daughter that Griffin had been involved in the attack and shot. Griffin was a rapper who used the name “Fox 5,” neighbors told The Post.
“My daughter called me. She was emotional. She was crying. ‘Mom! Mom! They killed Fox, mom!’” Brown told News12
Griffin’s attack on the subway is out of character for him and he would never hurt anyone, according to Brown, who wished cops would have used a stun gun on him instead.
“You could have Tased him, made him drop the weapon. You don’t have to shoot and kill him,” Brown said.
But she also admitted that Griffin kept a machete on him for protection and had recently been through a rough patch of mental issues.
“I wanna also say that maybe something did trigger, but still it ain’t right,” Brown said.