A man whose membership to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City was revoked went on a rampage on Saturday, March 12, stabbing two employees with a knife before fleeing the scene quickly.
Sixty-year-old Gary Cabana went to the museum to view a movie but was denied entry by the staff after his membership was revoked the day before. He has had some previous unspecified incidents of disturbance in the museum that caused his membership to be canceled, according to NBC News.
In response to the denial of entry, Cabana grew mad and jumped over the reception desk, stabbing two of the employees behind the desk multiple times before fleeing the scene. The two employees were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the Daily Beast reported.
“Neither victim is suffering from life-threatening injuries at this time,” a spokesperson for New York Mayor Eric Adams said. “The mayor will continue to monitor the situation and the progress of the two victims.”
The two employees were reportedly stabbed in the back, the collarbone, and the back of their necks by Cabana during the incident.
Cabana, who was well-known to the employees of the museum as a regular visitor, is currently evading capture from police officers, though officers appear to know where the suspect has gone to. Many people who were in the area during the incident panicked as they attempted to rush out of the museum due to the stabbing, according to the New York Times.
Ana Alves, a visiting Brazilian reporter, said that she was confused at first as to why people were being asked to vacate the building so suddenly, with security guards leading them towards the ground floor as individuals left the area.
“I only realized it was serious when I got to the lower floor and saw museum staff crying,” Alves said. “It’s scary. We always assume museums are safe. I guess metal detectors will be a necessary inconvenience once again.”
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