New York City’s deadliest mass shooting in 25 years is shifting the mayoral race spotlight onto Zohran Mamdani, the Queens state assemblyman and current Democratic front-runner.
The violence, which left four people dead—including an NYPD officer—has sparked renewed scrutiny of Mamdani’s past remarks about policing, especially his 2020 calls to defund the NYPD and his characterization of the force as “racist” and “anti-queer.”
Midtown Manhattan Tragedy Raises Safety Concerns
The Midtown shooting, which took place in a well-secured office building, killed a police officer, a security guard, a Blackstone executive, and a real-estate worker. The rare act of violence rattled New Yorkers and provided Mamdani’s opponents—Mayor Eric Adams and former Governor Andrew Cuomo—an opening to challenge his stance on policing.
Mamdani was in Uganda for his wedding at the time but returned immediately to visit the fallen officer’s family.
“This is a time to lead this city in coming together,” Mamdani said during a press conference. “Not a moment to try and score the very points that turn so many New Yorkers away from politics.”
Cuomo, Adams Seize on Mamdani’s Policing Record
Former Governor Cuomo criticized Mamdani’s efforts to soften his image:
