Newly released video footage by the New York Police Department has offered fresh insight into the Saturday stabbing incident that took place at the MoMA gallery.
Police are currently searching for suspect Gary Cabana, 60, who they believe stabbed the employees. Reports suggest Cabana was angry that his museum membership was revoked. The museum remains closed Sunday as the investigation is underway.
Surveillance video from inside the museum shows the suspect barging his way through rotating doors and lunging over the front desk as three terrified employees huddle in a corner shielding themselves from attack.
An older male employee wearing a suit, suspected to be a MoMA security guard, can be seen trying to address the suspect while keeping a safe distance on the opposite side of the front desk. Video shows the individual throw items at the suspect to distract him, a move that subsequently allows one employee to escape.
The two stabbing victims include a 24 year-old woman who was stabbed in the back and neck, and a 24 year-old man who was stabbed in the left collarbone.
Police say both victims are in stable condition at Bellevue Hospital.
Cabana was reportedly a regular at the museum but two previous disorderly conduct incidents resulted in the revocation of his membership on Friday.
Alessandro Pugliese, 24, who works in MoMA communications, arrived at the museum at 4:30 p.m., local time, on Saturday, to see a screening of the 1938 film “Bringing Up Baby”, potentially the same film for which Cabana had been denied entrance. Pugliese heard employees screaming and as he turned around he witnessed the suspect stabbing the employees.
Cabana asked the security guard, who had thrown objects to distract the latter, where his gun was before running out of the museum.
According to police, Cabana has no prior arrests and his last-known address was a supportive housing unit on West 43rd Street.
Cabana fled the scene after the attack. He was last seen wearing a colorful patterned shirt under a black jacket and a blue surgical mask. As of Sunday morning, police are still looking for him.
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