Nypd investigating subway attack as anti-lgbtqia+ hate crime

Brooklyn, NY – Police are searching for a suspect wanted in connection with an early-morning assault being investigated as a hate crime at the Lorimer Street subway station in Williamsburg.

According to the NYPD, the incident occurred around 5:00 a.m. on Sunday, January 18, 2026. A 24-year-old man was riding a northbound L train when an unidentified individual approached him and began making anti-LGBTQIA+ statements.

When the train reached the Lorimer Street station, the suspect followed the victim off the train and displayed a knife before punching him repeatedly in the head and body. The attacker then fled the scene on another northbound L train, police said.

The victim sustained bruising and swelling but declined medical attention at the scene. The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating, and detectives are reviewing surveillance footage from the subway station to identify the suspect.

Officials have not released a description of the individual but are asking anyone who may have witnessed the assault or recognizes the attacker to come forward.

New York City transit officials have condemned the attack, calling it part of a disturbing rise in bias-related crimes targeting members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Police have increased patrols across several subway lines as the investigation continues.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tips can also be submitted online at https://ow.ly/pxfp50Y1uBM or through X (formerly Twitter) at @NYPDTips.

Key Points: NYPD investigating subway attack as anti-LGBTQIA+ hate crime – Brooklyn

The assault occurred around 5:00 a.m. on January 18 at the Lorimer Street subway station.
The suspect allegedly made anti-LGBTQIA+ remarks, threatened the victim with a knife, and punched him multiple times.
Police are asking for public assistance in identifying the attacker through the NYPD Crime Stoppers tip line.

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