A 34-year-old man was slashed Monday afternoon after an argument turned violent outside the Five Below at 5308 5th Avenue in Sunset Park, police said. The dispute ended with the man suffering a slash wound to his back and a quick response from officers and EMS. Authorities say he was taken to a nearby hospital and is expected to recover.
Officers were called to the scene just after 4 p.m., and police sources told News 12 that a large knife was used in the attack. EMS transported the victim to a local hospital, where officials said he is expected to recover.
Where It Happened
The Five Below at 5308 5th Avenue sits on a busy commercial stretch of 5th Avenue in Sunset Park, a block that rarely gets quiet even on a weekday afternoon. The retailer’s listing confirms that address, per Five Below.
Neighborhood Context
The stabbing echoes other recent knife incidents in Brooklyn. In late April, a midnight slashing and robbery on Mermaid Avenue in Coney Island left two people wounded, part of a string of unsettling late-night street crimes.
At the same time, citywide crime numbers are moving in the other direction. The NYPD reported that major crime declined in the first quarter of 2026, even as isolated violent episodes continue to rattle neighborhoods, according to the agency’s April 2 update in an NYPD press release.
