New York City police have arrested a suspect in connection to the fatal stabbing of Brooklyn social justice activist Ryan Thoresen Carson, which was caught on surveillance video.

On Thursday morning, 18-year-old Brian Dowling was arrested in his apartment on suspicion of stabbing Carson on Monday. During a police raid at his residence, they found a knife and a sweatshirt matching the attacker.

He was in tears as he was escorted out of the NYPD’s 81st precinct in Bedford-Stuyvesant to be charged with first-degree murder and illegal weapon possession.

The brutal assault happened at 3:50 a.m. when Carson, 32, and his girlfriend were waiting for a bus after attending a wedding. In a security video, Carson, dressed in a suit, is shown in a confrontation with a man who seems to be holding a knife in his right hand. The man can be heard threatening Carson with the words, “I’m going to kill you right now.”

The man then attempted to strike Carson’s face. In response, Carson ran away but tripped over a bus bench and fell to the ground. This is when the man stabbed him multiple times, just as the police found him.

Upon arriving at the scene, police took him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

During a media briefing on Wednesday, New York Police Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said the assailant also kicked him in the chest. Following this, he threatened to stab Carson’s girlfriend, spat in her face, and then fled the scene.

Dowling’s aunt had previously reported him to the police for damaging his girlfriend’s belongings during a fight. She described him as “emotionally and mentally disturbed.” He is known to frequent the area around Commodore Barry Park in Fort Greene.

It is unclear whether he had a juvenile record. However, in 2022, Dowling received three summonses, including two for disorderly conduct.

Victim of random stabbing

Carson worked as a campaign organiser at the nonprofit New York Public Interest Research Group. According to its website, the nonprofit conducts public education campaigns “to produce policies that strengthen democracy.”

In a statement about his death, the nonprofit group Carson was killed in a “random street encounter near his home.”

“His engaging personality, hearty laugh and wide-ranging intelligence were keys to his success in advancing the causes he deeply cared about in his work and personal life,” the statement read.

Knife crime in UK

According to a report from the Ben Kinsella Trust, there were 50,489 police-recorded knife or sharp instrument offences in England and Wales in the 12 months from April 2022 to March 2023.

Meanwhile, there were 282 murders involving a knife or sharp instrument in England and Wales in the 12 months to March 2022, the highest recorded total since 1946.

NHS Digital data also shows that in 2021/22, English hospitals recorded 4,171 finished consultant episodes (FCE) related to assaults with sharp objects. This represents a 2 percent increase from 2020/21 and a 14 percent increase from 2014/15.

Although the death of Carson was due to the random stabbing of an “unstable” individual, oftentimes knife crimes were related to street violence and robbery. As they see you as someone with valuables in hand, the assailants will do whatever it takes to get ahold of them.

Sometimes, knife crimes can be premeditated as well. High-net-worth individuals (HNWI) are among the most likely targets, as the offenders know that you are of high value or bring high-value items.

It is, therefore, important to always be vigilant and hire a close protection officer. Security agencies like Marengo offer this service to help HNWIs stay safe wherever they go, preventing them from falling victim to various crimes, including knife crimes.