Salman Rushdie, the Indian-born author who received death threats from Iran in the 1980s, was attacked Friday morning in New York by a man rushing to the podium where the author was due to speak, New York state police said. Rushdie was transported by helicopter to a local hospital with a stab wound to the neck and chest, police said.
Police have named Hadi Matar, a 24-year-old man from Fairview, New Jersey, as a suspect in custody. A motive has yet to be determined, State Police Major Eugene Staniszewski said at a news conference Friday night.
The world-renowned author, who is 75 years old, was attending a lecture series at the Chautauqua Institute as a guest speaker when the incident occurred. According to a police statement, a male suspect stormed the stage and assaulted Rushdie and an interviewer at approximately 11 a.m. ET.
The suspect was immediately taken into custody and Rushdie was transported to a local hospital. Rushdie’s agent said he had surgery and was on a ventilator Friday night, with a damaged liver, severed nerves in his arm and could lose an eye, according to The Associated Press.
Staniszewski also said the interviewer, Henry Reese, was treated at a local hospital for a minor head injury and has since been released.
Reese is a co-founder of City of Asylum, a residency program for writers in exile, and was onstage with Rushdie during the attack.
Chautauqua Institution President Michael Hill said event security needs are assessed on a case-by-case basis.
“I would say we take our security measures very, very seriously,” he said at the press conference.
The institution said a state officer and a sheriff’s officer were present because of the significance of this particular event. Matar, like everyone else in attendance, had bought a pass to the event, Hill explained.
“What we experienced today in Chautauqua is an incident unlike anything in our nearly 150-year history,” Hill said. “Today, now, we are called to tackle fear and the worst of all human qualities: hatred.”
Rushdie visited the institution to discuss with Reese how the United States serves as a refuge for writers in exile, according to the Chautauqua Institution events page.
Rushdie has written 14 novels, including The Satanic Verses, one of his most popular books, which resulted in death threats from the Iranian leader against the author in 1989.
In addition to his work as a writer, Rushdie has long advocated the importance of free speech. He was president of PEN America from 2004 to 2006 and then president of the PEN World Voices International Literary Festival for 10 years.
Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America, said in a statement that the organization was shocked by the news of the attack. Rushdie had sent her an email just hours before the attack to help Ukrainian writers apply for asylum.
“Salman Rushdie has been the target of his words for decades, but he never backed down,” Nossel said. “He has put tireless energy into helping others who are vulnerable and threatened.”