Two days ago, at the flagship store of Macy’s department store in Herald Square, a suspect who inexplicably attacked someone in the bathroom was confirmed to be a mentally ill patient. She had escaped from a psychiatric hospital that day with the intention of killing someone at a designated location. This vicious accident highlights the management loopholes in the treatment of mental patients in the state of New York.
Police investigations revealed that 43-year-old Kerri Aherne from Massachusetts had a severe history of mental illness and had just been discharged from the Manhattan Psychiatric Center that morning.
Prosecutors stated that she claimed “voices in her head commanded her to kill,” and after purchasing a long knife from Macy’s, she entered the bathroom to find a victim. In court, she denied having a mental illness and is facing charges of attempted murder, assault, armed assault, and endangering the safety of children. She is currently being held without bail.
According to various media reports, the victim was a 38-year-old mother from California who was changing her 10-month-old daughter’s diapers in the baby changing room on the 7th floor of the mall. Aherne repeatedly stabbed the victim in the back and arms with a knife, fortunately, the victim’s condition stabilized after being taken to the hospital, and the baby was unharmed.
This case has sparked widespread attention not only because of the severity of the violence itself but also because the suspect was a mentally ill patient who was released early and almost unsupervised.
According to the New York Post, sources revealed a severe shortage of psychiatric beds in the state, and due to the inability to bill Medicaid for psychiatric beds, hospitals are forced to quickly release high-risk patients to save costs. The healthcare management allegedly pressures responsible physicians to “discharge patients as quickly as possible” and uses discharge rates as a performance indicator. The arrangements for transition to transitional housing are often poorly supervised and lack maintenance.
Outgoing Mayor Adams expressed strong concern about the incident on December 13. He emphasized the need to maintain and expand the power of compulsory medical treatment and comprehensive risk assessment so that professional institutions can intervene legally when patients are still dangerous. Adams also urged the incoming Mayor Mamdani not to revoke these powers. Both city and state governments have stated that they will conduct a comprehensive review of the systemic failures.
Many random attacks by the homeless on the streets of New York City are committed by mentally ill patients, and stakeholders have been discussing solutions to this issue. First, how to handle the conflict between mental health and public safety. When patients still have the potential for violence, relying solely on patient self-reporting or short-term behavioral observation makes it difficult to effectively predict risks.
Second, there are issues with the financial incentive structure of the healthcare system. If psychiatric beds cannot be billed to Medicaid, placing a significant financial burden on state governments and hospitals further reduces the space for involuntary treatment. This not only affects the quality of patient care but may also have a negative impact on public safety.
This incident has raised concerns among the public about city security and the safety of public spaces. During the busy holiday shopping season, popular destinations like Macy’s attract a large number of tourists and residents. Such a cruel attack instills fear in people during what should be a festive occasion filled with joy.
People are waiting for substantive reform proposals from the state government, city government, and relevant health authorities.