Just when you thought NYC’s nightlife scene couldn’t get any more insane, a seemingly innocent party cruise turned into a house of horrors. In a twist that defies comprehension, a knife-wielding madman went berserk aboard the Cornucopia Majesty yacht as it cruised the East River Saturday evening.
One moment, a jovial crowd of 3,000 was reveling in the lap of luxury, drinking and dancing the night away on the plush tourist attraction boasting multiple decks, slick bars and pulsing dance floors. The next, all hell broke loose in an explosion of inexplicable violence that left three people hospitalized with horrific stabbing and bludgeoning injuries.
It was sheer pandemonium aboard the ship around 5 p.m. when the first 911 call crackled in about an assault in progress. Arriving officers were greeted by a grisly scene – a 32-year-old man had been ruthlessly knifed in the torso, while another victim, 40, was found with multiple stab wounds to his chest and abdomen in a sickening act of savagery.
But perhaps most disturbing of all, a 28-year-old partygoer had been bludgeoned in the head by a bottle, leaving him bleeding profusely as panicked witnesses watched in horror. The three wounded were rushed to NYU Langone in stable condition as the baffling motive behind the sudden outburst remained a mystery.
“One minute everyone was just vibing, having the time of their lives,” recounted a shaken bystander. “Then this guy just snapped and started swinging bottles and slashing everybody in his path like a deranged psycho!”
The unthinkable burst of brutality instantly shattered the festive atmosphere that had permeated the luxury cruise earlier that evening. In an instant, a supposed night of opulent revelry had devolved into a house of horrors straight out of a slasher flick.
As of late Saturday, no suspects were in custody as police scoured the blood-stained crime scene for clues into what could possibly have triggered such an extreme act of deadly violence on what was meant to be a celebratory cruise.
The vicious incident was a chilling echo of recent tragic events that have plagued NYC’s entertainment districts, like October’s deadly celebrity party shooting in Chelsea. As the city grapples with spiking crime rates, the cruise attack was yet another shocking reminder that no corner of the Big Apple is immune to the threat of random mayhem.
In the blink of an eye, a supposed evening under the stars had stunningly transformed into a night drenched in chaos, bloodshed and unanswered questions. Just another day in paradise for New York’s nightlife scene.
