NYC man shoved into path of subway practice by stranger is called as his attacker seems in courtroom
The man shoved into the path of a Manhattan subway train was revealed to be a music programmer and curator just one day after the terrifying near-fatal New Year’s Eve incident.
Joseph Lynskey, 45, a New York City music programmer, miraculously survived after he was abruptly shoved into the path of a fast-moving southbound train at the 18th Street 1 Train station on Tuesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, his accused attacker, 23-year-old Kamel Hawkins, looked on indifferently as he was arraigned on attempted murder and second-degree assault charges at Manhattan Criminal Court on New Year’s Day.
Despite suffering from serious wounds including a cracked skull, four broken ribs and a ruptured spleen, Lynskey is expected to make a full recovery.
‘Our main priority right now – our sole priority right now – is supporting our brother Joe,’ Eileen Parsons, his sister, told The New York Times.
‘We are so grateful that he is alive.’
Lynskey is the head of content and music programming at Gray V – a New York company that creates background music and playlists for hotels, restaurants, gyms and retail businesses.
Lynskey’s online bio described him as being a Miami native when he first began ‘honing his sound’ during the 1990s, The Times reported.
The man shoved into the path of a Manhattan subway train on New Year’s Eve was identified as being 45-year-old Joseph Lynskey – a music programmer in New York City
His accused attacker, 23-year-old Kamel Hawkins, looked on indifferently as he was arraigned on attempted murder and second-degree assault charges at Manhattan Criminal Court on New Year’s Day
Terrifying surveillance video showed the moment a masked man pushed Lynskey in the back after seemingly noticing the oncoming train – violently sending him onto the tracks just as the train passed through
‘After a move to Manhattan, he began an eclectic journey through some of New York’s best underground clubs,’ his bio stated.
He has also produced soundtracks for runway fashion shows and provided music for events held by major companies and at clubs around the country as well as in Brazil and Costa Rica.
Just weeks before the heinous attack, Lynskey spoke to BNN Bloomberg about how music shapes the public’s interactions with luxury brands, especially during the holiday season.
He spoke specifically of one of his recent projects, The Times Square Hotel, and how the created playlist for the entrance is ‘intentionally designed to signal a transition – inviting guests to leave the chaos of Times Square behind’.
His attack on Tuesday is just the latest in a string of concerning acts on the New York City subway system.
Terrifying surveillance video showed Lynskey in a light orange jacket standing by the edge of the platform at around 1.30pm Tuesday afternoon as the train approached the 18th street station in Chelsea.
In a matter of seconds, a masked man was captured walking behind him, and after seemingly noticing the oncoming train, turned and pushed Lynskey in the back – violently sending him onto the tracks just as the train passed through.
Two young men who jumped the turnstile to avoid paying for their ticket just seconds before then turned and fled after witnessing the shocking scene.
Despite suffering from serious wounds including a cracked skull, four broken ribs and a ruptured spleen, Lynskey miraculously survived and is expected to make a full recovery
Additional video footage captured the moments where nearly a dozen firefighters rescued Lynskey from underneath the train
The footage appeared to show blood on Lynskey’s face before he was transported to the hospital in critical condition – but he is now listed as being stable
Separate footage shared by shocked passengers showed the moments where nearly a dozen firefighters rescued Lynskey, who appeared to have blood on his face, from underneath the train.
A law enforcement official told the New York Post that he survived because ‘he fell perfectly in the trench,’ describing the near miss as an act of God.
Not only was he able to survive the sickening attack, but he was able to speak to his family from his bed at Bellevue Hospital where he is now listed as being in stable condition.
‘He’s good,’ Christopher Lynskey, his brother, told the Daily News. ‘He’s busted up a little bit but he’s going to make a full recovery.’
Cops launched an urgent manhunt for 23-year-old Hawkins, who was taken into custody several hours after the horrifying incident and ordered to be held without bail.
He failed to enter a plea during his arraignment on Wednesday but is due to enter one at the Supreme Court at a later date.
According to the Post, Hawkins also has pending assault cases going through the courts.
He was allegedly charged with assault in June 2019 after attacking a police officer, and was charged on October 12 for assault, harassment and possession of weapons.
Cops launched an urgent manhunt for 23-year-old Hawkins, who was taken into custody several hours after the horrifying incident and ordered to be held without bail
Shamel Hawkins, 40, the suspect’s father, acknowledged that his son had been in run-ins with the law, but that he is a ‘good kid’ who began acting strange recently – noting how he believes that someone put something in his weed
Hawkins, who is being held without bail, failed to enter a plea during his arraignment on Wednesday but is due to enter one at the Supreme Court at a later date
Additionally, he has an open case in Brooklyn criminal court on harassment charges for throwing bleach on a woman and trying to kick down her door, the Times reported.
Cops said that he did not appear to know the victim, and described it as a random attack.
Hours after the incident, Mayor Eric Adams took to social media and called the attack ‘an appalling act of violence’ that ‘has absolutely no place on our subway system’.
‘Random acts of violence like this contribute to New Yorkers feeling unsettled,’ he added.
Shamel Hawkins, 40, his father, who lives with his son in an apartment in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, told the Times that he was shocked by the accusations surrounding his son.
He acknowledged that his son has had run-ins with the law but said how he never could have expected him to be accused of such a violent act.
‘He’s not a bad kid at all,’ he told the outlet while also adding that he is ‘usually focused and work-driven’ at his job at a moving company.
The father also told the New York Post on Wednesday that his son had been fine until he recently began acting strange.
Lynskey’s revealed identity gave more insight into his seemingly electric music life as the head of content and music programming at Gray V – a New York company that creates background music and playlists for hotels, restaurants, gyms and retail businesses
His online bio described him as being born and raised in Miami before moving to Manhattan to begin an eclectic journey through some of New York’s best underground clubs
‘Lately he’s been going through something, some mental issues,’ his father said. ‘We think somebody put something in his weed.’
‘I just know right now he’s not himself,’ he added to the Times.
Tuesday’s incident is expected to put more pressure on officials to bring an end to horror subway attacks.
NYPD told DailyMail.com that they recorded 24 incidents of people being pushed onto subway tracks this year – a 41 percent increase on last year’s total of 17.
On Christmas Eve, two people were injured in Manhattan’s Grand Central Station after a maniac went on a stabbing rampage.
Sources told DailyMail.com at the time that a 28-year-old man slashed two strangers with a knife in the seemingly random attack just after 10pm at the busy tourist hotspot.
And just days before, the Big Apple was stunned when a homeless woman was set on fire and burned to death while she slept on a subway car.
The victim was identified Tuesday by the NYPD as Debrina Kawam, a 61-year-old homeless woman from New Jersey.
