A 24-year-old man from Fairview, New Jersey has been named as the suspect in Friday’s stabbing of author Salman Rushdie on stage in western New York.
In a press release issued several hours after the attack on the Indian-born author, police named the culprit as 24-year-old Hadi Matar.
Maj. Eugene Staniszewski of the New York State Police stated that Matar came on stage as Rushdie, 75, was preparing to speak at a literary event held by the Chautauqua Institution late in the morning and stabbed him at least once in the neck and once in the stomach.
According to Staniszewski, witnesses and security personnel swarmed Matar and tackled him after the attack. Later, he was taken into custody by a state policeman and a deputy from the local sheriff’s office who were on hand to maintain order during the panel discussion.
FBI investigators have arrived to assist local and state officials in their investigation of the high-profile stabbing, but according to Staniszewski, police have not yet established a reason for Matar’s alleged attack on Rushdie.
Matar, who had purchased a ticket to Friday’s talk, could face various charges depending on Rushdie’s condition after the attack.
