In a disturbing incident that underscores the unpredictable nature of urban life, a young student from New York University found herself the victim of an unprovoked attack while on her way to class. The assault took place in broad daylight, leaving both the victim and onlookers stunned.

The victim, 20-year-old Amelia Lewis, was making her usual walk down Broadway in Manhattan when an unknown assailant approached her just before 9:30 a.m. on Monday. The attack was sudden and shocking, as the man crept up from behind and launched his assault.

Captured in chilling footage, the attack shows Amelia, who was wearing headphones at the time, being slapped from behind. The aggressor then violently yanked her by the hair, causing her to fall to the ground in distress. The unsettling scene unfolded in front of horrified bystanders, who witnessed the brazen act unfold in disbelief before the perpetrator quickly fled the scene.

Amelia, who is connected to media personality Megyn Kelly through a family friendship, took to her social media account on X to share details of the incident. In her post, she revealed that NYU staff had identified the attacker as a known serial offender on campus, raising concerns about ongoing safety issues within the university community.

In a post to her X account, Amelia, whose family friend is Megyn Kelly, said the aggressor was identified by NYU staff as being a serial attacker on the campus. 

She said: ‘It actually is the guy that has been assaulting many girls around campus, he is a tall white male with long brunette hair and a long brunette beard. 

‘He is wearing grey sweatpants and a big black puffer jacket and a blue towel around his neck, so if you see him please call 911 and report him to the police.

‘He has done this to so many girls, and this is disgusting. It’s honestly a really hard watch.’

Surveillance footage showed the student being hit from behind before tumbling forward onto the ground 

The man crept up on her after crossing Broadway and specifically targeting her, the video showed

She also provided a voice over in which she said the man followed her across the street and specifically targeted her. 

SiriusXM star Megyn Kelly shared Amelia’s video to her X, revealing herself as a family friend 

Amelia added: ‘You can tell everyone around is literally in shock, these girls don’t know what to do, it’s so terrible.

‘I am a student at NYU, I should not be scared to be walking the street to go to my 9:30am class.

‘These people are disgusting and they should not be able to be walking around the street freely, targeting girls and doing this.

‘We need to get these people, that is not okay. I am still in shock but I am more enraged that things like this are able to happen in this city. 

‘We really need to do something about it because this is unacceptable, you really need to reflect on who you are voting for right now.’

Her last comment appeared to refer to Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani who recently won the city’s mayoral race. 

Mamdani, who won’t be sworn in as leader of the city until the new year, has proposed to expand the use of violence interrupter programs and mental health teams on the ground to curb such attacks. 

Amelia said the man who attacked her was identified by NYU staff as being a serial attacker on the campus

Amelia said the man who attacked her was identified by NYU staff as being a serial attacker on the campus

In Mamdani’s view, this would reduce the number of police interactions on the street under a new agency titled the Department of Community Safety.

Megyn Kelly reshared Amelia’s video to her own X profile, while revealing her connection to the young victim. 

‘This college student – a friend of our friend – was just openly assaulted by a man at 9:30am today in NYC on her way to NYU

‘It’s all on tape below – any help identifying the perp would be appreciated!’, the conservative commentator said. 

In a statement to the Daily Mail, the New York City Police Department confirmed their investigation remains active. 

A spokesperson said: ‘On Monday, December 1, 2025, at approximately 0922 hours, police responded to a 911 call of an assault in front of 735 Broadway within the confines of the 6th Precinct. 

‘Upon arrival, officers were informed an unidentified individual approached a 20-year-old female from behind, slapped her head, slapped her buttocks, and pulled her hair. 

‘The individual fled the location in an unknown direction. The investigation remains ongoing. 

The Daily Mail has contacted NYU for comment.