According to NYPD reports, Macy's flagship Herald Square store in Midtown was the scene of a stabbing incident on Thursday afternoon. Officers arrived at the storied location at West 34th Street and Broadway, after a 911 call reported an assault at approximately 3 p.m. A Massachusetts woman, identified as Kerri Aherne, 43, allegedly stabbed a 39-year-old woman several times in the back and arm. As reported by Gothamist, the victim, taken to Bellevue Hospital, was in stable condition following the attack.
In a twist of events, changing her 10-month-old daughter in the seventh-floor restroom at the time, the 38-year-old mother from Jurupa Valley, who along with her husband works for the sheriff's office, was stabbed from behind. Her and her husband's quick action helped disarm Aherne, holding her down until authorities arrived. This detail comes from a source at ABC7, which highlights how the attack appeared to be unprovoked.
Aherne is now faced with charges including attempted murder, assault, weapons possession, and endangering a child's welfare, the NYPD confirmed. As yet, information regarding her attorney has not been made available, and the motivations behind the stabbing remain under investigation. This incident is the second alleged assault at Macy's Herald Square reported by the NYPD within the past month, following a previous attack where a 65-year-old woman repeatedly struck a 71-year-old man on his head while he was shopping.
A statement released by a Macy's spokesperson expressed their concern, saying, "We are deeply saddened about the incident that took place today as the safety of our customers and colleagues is our top priority." The spokesperson directed further inquiries to the local authorities. Meanwhile, NYPD data disclosed a slight uptick in felony assaults in the Midtown South Precinct, with 516 recorded through Dec. 7 this year, as per the ABC7.
