South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was stabbed in the neck by a man with extreme political views, who has been formally charged with attempted murder. The assailant, identified only by his surname Kim, attacked Lee with a camping knife while posing as an autograph-seeker. Lee is recovering after surgery, and the incident has raised concerns about the safety of politicians in a country with low crime rates but recent increases in stabbing attacks. The motive behind the attack is under investigation, with the suspect having followed Lee since the previous year.
On New Year's Eve, a Mercedes driver named Mohamed Alaouie, 44, was charged with attempted murder after driving into a crowd in New York City, injuring eight people, including Marvel actress Carrie Bernans and two police officers. The incident occurred near Madison Square Garden, where Alaouie drove on the wrong side of the road, backed into a barrier, and then plowed into a Halal cart and pedestrians. Bernans suffered serious injuries and has undergone surgery. Alaouie has a history of prior arrests and was found with crack cocaine in his vehicle. The crash happened just blocks away from Times Square, where the New Year's ball drop took place.
Mohamed Alaouie, a 44-year-old man from New Jersey, was arrested after a New Year's Day rampage in Midtown Manhattan where he struck two police officers and four pedestrians with his Mercedes, which contained a large quantity of crack cocaine. Alaouie, who has a history of prior arrests, was charged with attempted murder of a police officer, assault, reckless endangerment, drug possession, and driving under the influence. The injured parties, including the police officers and Alaouie's girlfriend, sustained minor injuries. The chaotic incident ended with Alaouie's arrest and all injured parties are reported to be in stable condition.
Claudio Arrendell, the owner of P&P Auto Tire Shop in Gladeview, Florida, has been charged with attempted premeditated first-degree murder after shooting a landscaper who accidentally blew leaves onto his property. The incident occurred following an argument and resulted in the landscaper being hospitalized in critical condition, later upgraded to stable. Witnesses reported hearing gunshots and seeing the victim wounded. Arrendell is being held without bond, and it is unclear if a second detained individual faces charges related to the shooting. Some community members have spoken out in defense of Arrendell, citing his right to protect his property.
Viktoria Nasyrova has been sentenced to 21 years in prison for attempting to murder Olga Tsvyk with a poisoned cheesecake in a bid to steal her identity. Nasyrova, who shared physical traits with Tsvyk, brought the dessert to her home in Queens in 2016. Tsvyk fell ill and passed out after eating the cheesecake, which was found to contain phenazepam, a highly potent sedative. Tsvyk was discovered unconscious in her bed the following day with pills scattered around her body. Nasyrova was convicted of attempted murder, assault, unlawful imprisonment, and petit larceny in February.
A 28-year-old man has been charged with two counts of attempted murder after allegedly attacking elderly men leaving mosques in separate crimes that were weeks apart in different English cities. The suspect is accused of spraying a substance on an 82-year-old in west London on February 27 and on a 70-year-old in Birmingham on March 20. The incidents have shaken Britain’s Muslim minority, which is now observing the holy month of Ramadan.
