Two men stabbed in unprovoked attack in broad daylight on New York City streets, police say

By Mark Morales, Lila Dominus, CNN

(CNN) — Two men were stabbed Thursday afternoon in broad daylight in the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, police said.

Both victims, a 57-year-old man and 50-year-old man, were stabbed “throughout” their bodies, according to the New York City Police Department. The attack was unprovoked, two law enforcement sources said.

Police received a 911 call just after 1:30 pm and found the first victim conscious and alert with a stab wound to his back, according to a law enforcement official.

The other victim was stabbed in the chest, according to a source. One stabbing took place at West 84th Street and Central Park West, and the other happened just blocks away near West 86th Street and Central Park West. They were transferred to Mount Sinai Morningside in stable condition and are expected to survive.

Marianna Ellenberg, a witness, said she saw “a man kneeling on the street with a knife just sticking out of his back, like a movie.”

“I’ve been robbed myself, but to actually see just the knife sticking out, it’s just like that kind of cruel violence at 2 p.m. (in) the afternoon in bright sunlight,” she added. “It just kind of reminds you this idea of your safety zone, like nothing is safe.”

The suspect is in custody as an investigation into a possible motive is ongoing, police said. CNN is working to determine more about the stabbing.

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CNN’s John Miller contributed to this report.