A migrant teenager was fatally stabbed, and another was injured after a group of men asked if they spoke English and attacked them when they said no.
According to the New York City Police Department, officers responded to a 911 call about an assault in Lower Manhattan around 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.
When police arrived, they found a 17-year-old with a stab wound to the chest. An 18-year-old had been stabbed in the left arm with a screwdriver. Both were rushed to NYC Health and Hospitals / Bellevue. The 17-year-old, identified as Yeremi Colino, succumbed to his injuries.
The 18-year-old is in stable condition. No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing, an NYPD spokesperson told The Independent. Investigators recovered a knife from the scene. The teens had been living in Manhattan hotels, according to ABC 7.
Prior to the attack, investigators said one of the suspects asked the teens if they spoke English. After they responded “No,” the group attacked. Mayor Eric Adams stated the incident could be considered a hate crime if it’s determined the teens were targeted for not speaking English.
Police are looking for men in their 20s with dark complexions. One man wore a green jacket, white pants, and white sneakers. Another wore red pants, a red hoodie with a black jacket, and a black backpack, while the third wore red sweatpants, a red hoodie, a black jacket, and blue/white sneakers.
A student from Pace University, who had left the dining hall, encountered the crime scene. The student saw a pair of bloodied pliers and a sharp stick covered in blood, The Independent reported.
“All the cops started coming down John Street from Broadway. There was a lot of commotion. They started yelling at us to get out of the way, and I guess somebody got stabbed with either pliers or a wooden stick,” said student Mason Garrity. “It was pretty chaotic. Cops were pushing people out of the way, trying to secure the scene, and there was a lot of blood—a big trail that crossed different parts of John Street.”