Author Salman Rushdie was attacked on a lecture stage in New York - DSN
Author Salman Rushdie was attacked on a lecture stage in New York - DSN : Salman Rushdie, the Indian-born author who received death threats from Iran in the 1980s, was attacked Friday morning in New York by a man who rushed the stage where the author was to speak, New York State Police said. Rushdie was transported to a local hospital by helicopter with a stab wound to the neck and chest, police said.
Police have named Hadi Matar, a 24-year-old man from Fairview, New Jersey, as the suspect in custody. A motive has yet to be established, State Police Maj. Eugene Staniszewski said at a news conference Friday evening.
The world-renowned author, who is 75 years old, was attending a lecture series at the Chautauqua Institution as a guest speaker when the incident occurred. According to a police statement, a male suspect charged the stage and attacked Rushdie and an interviewer at approximately 11 a.m. ET.
The suspect was immediately taken into custody and Rushdie was transported to a local hospital. Rushdie's agent said he had undergone surgery and was on a ventilator Friday night, with a damaged liver, severed nerves in his arm and that he could lose an eye, according to The Associated Press.
Staniszewski also said that the interviewer, Henry Reese, was treated at a local hospital for a minor head injury and has since been released.
Reese is the co-founder of City of Asylum, a residency program for writers in exile, and was on stage with Rushdie during the attack.
Chautauqua Institution President Michael Hill said security needs for events are assessed on a case-by-case basis.
"I would say we take our security measures very, very seriously," he said at the news conference.
The institution said it had a state trooper and sheriff's officer in attendance because of how important this particular event was going to be. Matar had purchased a pass to the event like other attendees, Hill explained.
"What we experienced at Chautauqua today is an incident unlike anything in our nearly 150-year history," Hill said. "Today, now, we're called to take on fear and the worst of all human traits; hate."
Rushdie was visiting the institution to discuss with Reese how the United States serves as an asylum for writers in exile, according to the Chautauqua Institution's event page.
