Suspect in Salman Rushdie attack charged with attempted murder and assault
The man suspected of stabbing Salman Rushdie while on a lecture stage in upstate New York was arrested on felony charges of second-degree attempted murder and second-degree assault.
The man suspected of stabbing Salman Rushdie on a lecture stage in western New York was charged Saturday with second-degree attempted murder for the attack on the acclaimed novelist and second-degree assault for an injury to the event's moderator.
The suspect — identified as Hadi Matar, 24, of Fairview, New Jersey — was arraigned on the felony charges and held without bail in the Chautauqua County Jail, Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt said.
An attorney for Matar entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.
Local prosecutors say they are in touch with law enforcement counterparts in New Jersey "to better understand the planning and preparation which preceded the attack" and to determine if further charges are warranted.
"This is the very early stage of what will invariably be a protracted legal process," Schmidt said in a statement. "We will try to be as transparent as we can without compromising the case."
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