The nation’s attention is currently focused on two killings that occurred blocks apart in the same city. The different national reactions to these two New York events may seem to reflect the political fault lines in our country. But they expose something deeper than politics. They expose different societal attitudes toward the enduring conflict between order and chaos.
The first killing occurred on May 1, 2023, on an F-train near the Broadway-Lafayette subway station. Daniel Penny, an ex-Marine, grabbed Jordan Neely in a chokehold from behind, and held him for six minutes. Neely a homeless man with a record of 42 prior arrests, including 4 for alleged assault, had been threatening passengers, announcing “someone’s going to die today” and telling them that he did not care if he was the one. At the time of his death, there was an outstanding warrant for his arrest, arising from his assault on a 67-year old woman on a subway car. In that incident, the victim sustained a broken nose, a fractured orbital bone, and bruising and swelling of the back of her head.
The second killing occurred on December 4, 2024, at the Midtown Manhattan Hilton Hotel, about an hour’s walk from the first incident. Brian Thompson, the CEO of United Healthcare, was on his way to an investor conference when he was fatally shot by a masked assailant. The as yet unidentified killer fled the scene on a bicycle, and is now believed to have left the City.
Penny is currently on trial for the death of Neely. The death of Thompson is under investigation.
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