Bushwick, Brooklyn — Two teenage boys were stabbed near the intersection of Suydam Street and Knickerbocker Avenue on Sunday evening, shortly after the neighborhood’s Puerto Rican Day Parade festivities. The incident prompted a large emergency response and widespread police mobilization across several blocks of the neighborhood.
According to the NYPD, officers responded to a 911 call for an assault in progress at approximately 7:59 p.m. They arrived at the scene and found two victims: a 19-year-old male with a stab wound to the abdomen and an 18-year-old male with a stab wound to the back. Both were transported to Elmhurst Hospital by EMS.
As of Monday morning, police said the 19-year-old is in critical but stable condition, while the 18-year-old remains stable. FDNY confirmed both transports but offered no additional information. Police said the motive is unknown, though the victims have cooperated with investigators.
Suspects Unconfirmed Despite Radio Reports
Police radio transmissions referenced a suspect identified as a light-skinned Hispanic male with braids, a goatee, and tattoos on his left arm, seen fleeing north on Knickerbocker Avenue, possibly with a second man accompanied by a gray and white dog.
However, NYPD’s public information office has not confirmed that description, and as of 9:30 a.m. Monday, said no arrests have been made. Despite radio chatter suggesting a possible arrest near Star Street and Irving Avenue, police clarified there is currently no one in custody in connection with the stabbings.
In the hours following the incident, NYPD fielded multiple reports of large, disorderly crowds throughout Bushwick. Units were deployed to Troutman Street and Irving Avenue, Knickerbocker and DeKalb, and Stockholm Street. Officers reported crowd sizes exceeding 200 people and redirected barrier trucks and mobile task forces from across the borough to assist.
NYPD deployed multiple mobile task forces, barrier trucks, and vans from several precinct zones. A traffic freeze tied to the parade detail was lifted to enable rapid deployment, and posts in Maria Hernandez Park were reassigned. Officers initiated an evidence search beginning at Irving and Star and worked back toward Troutman Street.
Recent Homicide Highlights Violence in Area
Sunday’s stabbing follows another high-profile knife attack less than two months earlier. On April 20, Nelson Reyes, 43, was arrested for the fatal stabbing of a 52-year-old man in front of 159 Troutman Street, across from Fermi Playground, just three blocks from Sunday’s incident. Reyes, a Suydam Street resident, was charged with second-degree murder. The victim and suspect were described by neighbors as “neighborhood fixtures” who often drank together in that area.
This increase in homicides stands in contrast to other crime trends in the area. Felonious assaults, the category that includes stabbings, are down nearly 29% in the 83rd precinct year-to-date compared to 2024. Overall, the seven major felony crimes have fallen by more than 28% in the precinct this year.
The rise in homicides within the precinct is also an outlier when compared to the city as a whole. Citywide, murders have decreased by more than 28% so far in 2025. Meanwhile, felonious assaults have remained relatively flat across the five boroughs, with a slight 0.4% dip year-to-date. This suggests that while the 83rd Precinct is reducing most major crimes at a rate faster than the citywide average, it is also dealing with a localized rise in homicides.
As of publication, the NYPD has not released surveillance images or additional suspect information. The investigation is ongoing.
