A tourist was stabbed repeatedly by a homeless woman, seemingly at random, while changing her 10-month-old daughter in the restroom of a Macy’s department store in New York City on December 11.
The victim, a 38-year-old Californian civilian employee whose husband is a sworn deputy for a California sheriff’s department, was attacked shortly after 3 p.m. at the seventh-floor restroom of Macy’s Herald Square flagship store in Midtown Manhattan. The assailant, Kerri Aherne, a 43-year-old homeless woman originally from Massachusetts, allegedly approached the victim and began stabbing her multiple times in the back, shoulder, and right arm with a knife.
Aherne was arrested at the scene and charged with attempted murder, first-degree assault, and criminal possession of a weapon. Macy’s issued a statement expressing deep sadness over the incident: “We are deeply saddened about the incident that took place today as the safety of our customers and colleagues is our top priority.”
The attack occurred during peak holiday shopping season at one of New York City’s busiest retail locations and has renewed concerns about public safety in high-profile stores. Violent crime in New York City continues to plague residents and visitors. Earlier this year, the outgoing Eric Adams administration announced plans to install hundreds of panic buttons in bodegas following a series of deadly attacks on store clerks. The city has also faced criticism over supervised drug-injection sites that opened in 2021; in July 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order to cut federal funding for the facilities, calling them illegal drug dens that harm neighborhoods.
Separately, New York State’s 2018 “Raise the Age” law—which ended automatic adult prosecution for most 16- and 17-year-olds—has been linked to a sharp rise in teen gun crime. Through September 2025, arrests of minors for shootings more than doubled compared to 2018 levels, prompting calls from law enforcement veterans to toughen penalties for juveniles.
