Two women were stabbed inside New York City’s Museum of Modern Art on Saturday afternoon by a man who had recently had his membership revoked over past incidents, police said.
The suspect, a 60-year-old man named Gary Cabana, was not in custody Saturday evening, the New York Police Department said. Authorities said that Cabana was known to both the MOMA and police.
The stabbing happened about 4:15 p.m. when the man approached the reception area at the midtown Manhattan museum with the reported intent of seeing a film, said John Miller, NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counterterrorism.
After Cabana was rejected because his membership was no longer active, a result of recent disorderly conduct incidents, he jumped over a reception desk and stabbed the two MOMA employees multiple times, Miller said.
The women were taken to NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue where they were stabilized, the NYPD said.
"We are told they are both going to be OK," Miller said.
Cabana fled the museum, and police canvassed the area, but no arrests had been made, he said.
Miller said the letter revoking Cabana's museum membership went out Friday, but it wasn't clear if he knew that before he arrived.
Police did not provide additional details about the two other incidents involving Cabana.
Video from the scene appeared to show museumgoers evacuating.
The museum and its stores were closed Sunday, MOMA said in tweet.
