A 33-year-old man attacks shoppers at a New York whole foods store with a glass bottle news

In a series of seemingly unprovoked attacks, 33-year-old Michael Howell was arrested and charged with allegedly assaulting three people in New York.

According to , three victims were injured within the attacks wherein a glass bottle was used, including a 23-year-old man, a 49-year-old woman and a 55-year-old woman. The first attack occurred at Whole Foods on Sixth Avenue, across from Bryant Park in Manhattan, around 6:30 p.m., and two subsequent attacks occurred in quick succession. Howell was arrested late on the evening of October 5.

Police said the attacker, believed to be Howell, first attacked a person outside Whole Foods after which entered the store, where he allegedly attacked a 49-year-old woman on the second floor. He then fled to a nearby subway station at forty seventh Street and Sixth Avenue, where police say he attacked a 55-year-old woman. Howell was later arrested by law enforcement on forty sixth Street, although the precise moment of the arrest stays undisclosed. All three victims were taken to a hospital in New York in stable condition.

Photos taken at the scene show broken glass on the sidewalk near the store, with quite a few cops searching the realm for evidence. Images from show the results of the attacksand one woman appears to be seriously injured.

This disturbing incident follows the recent and unprovoked murder of Ryan Thoresen Carson, whose alleged killer, Brian Dowling, was brought before a judge to face first-degree murder charges. Carson, 32, was the victim of a stabbing near Lafayette Avenue and Malcolm X Boulevard in Brooklyn, where he was stabbed multiple times and suffered fatal injuries.

Surveillance footage of the attack on Carson and his girlfriend, Claudia, shows the attacker kicking the scooters before turning on the couple, making threats and ultimately carrying out a brutal attack. The tragic incident is a component of a disturbing trend of violent attacks which have occurred in New York City in recent months, contributing to a growing fear of crime amongst its residents.

A Siena College Research Institute poll found that 87% of New Yorkers see crime as a major problem, and 61% express concern about becoming victims themselves. More than half of respondents reported concerns about their safety in New York City’s public spaces, including schools, stores and places of worship, and 36% felt threatened by the behavior of strangers in public places over the past 12 months. This increase in uncertainty has led many residents to hunt alternative safety measures, from home security systems to self-defense classes and private safety devices.