Sometimes When Violence Strikes, It Can Be Easy to Overlook What Went Right

Early Tuesday morning in New York’s Riverside Park, a terrifying and random attack unfolded. A homeless man, apparently suffering from mental illness, went on a stabbing rampage. He attacked two joggers, a man walking his dog, a toddler in a stroller, and the child’s father. Altogether, five people were injured, two of them critically, before the assailant was subdued by a passerby. All of the victims were rushed to the hospital and are expected to recover.

You could look at the incident as an example of how frightening life can be in a big city like New York. And without a doubt, it highlights the inadequacies of mental health services in the city and the nation at large.