A customer violently assaulted a security guard at a New York City Apple Store after the two had a dispute over masks.
Police said the dispute occurred just after 6:30 PM inside the W. 14th Street store near Chelsea. After the security guard confronted the customer over the store’s COVID-19 mask requirement, the two argued, and that’s when the customer pulled out a sharp object, stabbing the guard multiple times, NBC4 reported. (RELATED: Protesters Descend On Apple Store, Blast Production In China Over Uyghur Genocide)
When police arrived, the suspect had fled the store.
Authorities say early information about the suspect is “black, male, 5’6, in his 20’s wearing a black mask, a black shirt and blue jeans,” ABC7 reported.
The security guard was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he remains in serious but stable condition.
New York City mayor Bill De Blasio implemented various COVID-19 restrictions this past summer, such as showing proof of vaccination for indoor activities such as dining and concerts. De Blasio also ordered all city workers to be vaccinated or submit to weekly testing in September, according to the Associated Press.