Chaos in the East Village: One dead and two injured in bloodbath at “open-air drug market”

Murderous chaos erupted in the East Village on Sunday afternoon when a suspect stabbed three people, killing one of them, at what locals call an “open-air drug market.” The market has been a problem for years, the report said.

Officials of the 9th District rushed to a chaotic and bloody crime scene stretching from 14th Street and Avenue A to 13th Street and 1st Avenue at around 5:53 p.m. on June 23. Residents reported that the area was plagued by homelessness and an illegal market where drug addicts sold their wares on the street.

According to police sources, the three injured were stabbed during a fight at the scene. Police say a 31-year-old man was stabbed in the back, a 52-year-old woman in the leg and a third, unidentified man in the neck.

“I saw a woman being taken away with stab wounds, there was blood everywhere. I saw two people being carried away on a stretcher,” shouted eyewitness Anders Rohrer. “It’s broad daylight on a Sunday.”

The incident occurred less than a block from the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary during the afternoon Mass. Blood was smeared all over the scene, among garbage bags overflowing with trash.

All three victims were taken to Bellevue Hospital, where the woman and the 31-year-old man are in stable condition. The 38-year-old man died a short time later; police have not yet released his identity.

A 30-year-old man has now been arrested for questioning; a knife was also seized at the crime scene.

Darren Chang said he was sleeping and woke up to watch the fight.

“I woke up and saw some people fighting outside. A woman was pushed on the street and beaten by the man who was arrested,” Chang said.

“Every day I see people selling drugs, people injecting themselves between their toes. People here need a lot of help,” Rohrer added. “It’s an open-air drug market.”

amNewYork Metro first documented this block-long flea market filled with junk and drugs in the East Village in October 2020. Despite NYPD regularly raiding the area, the problem remains four years later, with residents fearful of a street they once considered a family-oriented community.

A local fruit vendor agreed, telling amNewYork Metro that things in the area were out of control and he was asking for change.

“Since COVID, this block has been overloaded with homeless people selling shit they find in donation bins, selling food they get from food banks, selling trash they pick up on the street — the 9th District and the city as a whole have done nothing about it,” said Emre Sevindiak, 23.

“I’ve lived here my whole life,” Sevindiak said, recalling how safe the East Village block that used to house a post office was. “These dogs are here and they’re stabbing each other, and what if (my father) gets hurt, what if my mother gets hurt? My mother can’t walk down this street safely.”

As police investigated the street corner, a crazed illegal vendor became angry at the crime scene while being denied access to her belongings. She began screaming that she was going to stab someone while ripping off the crime scene tape before fleeing.