New York stabbing, Kansas City shooting raise World Cup security concerns

Published 8 June 2026 · sports

Six people were stabbed in New York and nine injured in Kansas City days before the World Cup’s opening weekend. Two separate incidents of violence

Six people were stabbed in New York and nine injured in Kansas City days before the World Cup’s opening weekend. Two separate incidents of violence have left nine people injured in World Cup host cities in the United States, raising concerns over the safety and security of fans attending the tournament that starts in three days. Six people were wounded in a stabbing on Sunday at New York’s Penn Station, the city’s mayor said, as the metropolitan area geared up to host two major sporting events, the NBA Finals and the FIFA World Cup. Meanwhile, nine people sustained non-life-threatening injuries in a shooting near England’s World Cup base camp in Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday. The New York City Fire Department said a suspect was detained and the victims, including one with serious injuries, were taken to hospital. Fire Department officials initially reported five wounded, but Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on X that “based on the information available right now, six people were stabbed and the alleged perpetrator is in custody.” Circumstances of the attack were not immediately clear, but city Comptroller Mark Levine said on X that the suspect is “said to be an emotionally disturbed homeless person”. All victims are expected to survive, he added.

State Governor Kathy Hochul described the attack as “an act of horrific violence”. “New Yorkers deserve to feel safe wherever they go, and we will never stop working to make that a reality,” she said in a statement. The incident occurred at one of the nation’s busiest rail and subway transport centres as the city prepares for two huge sporting spectacles. Madison Square Garden, located directly above Penn Station in downtown Manhattan, will host games three and four of the NBA Finals on Monday and Wednesday between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. MetLife Stadium, outside the city in neighbouring New Jersey state, will host its first match of the World Cup on Saturday. US President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend Monday’s NBA game at Madison Square Garden, saying recently that he accepted an invitation from Knicks owner James Dolan. Security has been enhanced in the city before the two events. New York’s official emergency notification system did not describe the incident but said people should avoid the area and “expect traffic delays, road closures, mass transit disruptions & emergency personnel near Penn Station”. Before the stabbing, New York officials had already cancelled an outdoor watch party set for Monday outside the Garden.