Chef killed, 2 hurt in restaurant hammer attack in NYC

Wednesday, January 16, 2019
Victim identified in fatal hammer attack in Brooklyn restaurant
Candace McCowan reports on the fatal attack.

NEW YORK CITY -- Authorities say a chef was killed and two others were critically injured when they were attacked by a man with a hammer at a New York City restaurant.

Police say a man walked into Seaport Buffet in Brooklyn shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday and began attacking unsuspecting victims with a hammer. The frenzy sent customers and workers fleeing for their lives.

Some of them ran into Randazzo's Clam Bar across the street to seek shelter.

"We let them in and they said a guy came in crazy with a hammer and started hammering random people," said owner Samantha Randazzo. "One of the workers came in here and said he started screaming and went crazy."

Officials say the 34-year old chef, Fufai Pun, was killed.

The restaurant's owner and manager, aged 50 and 60, were taken to the hospital.

Calls for help were immediate. Eyewitnesses said they saw the attacker flee into the parking lot behind the restaurant but did not get far.

"He was screaming crazy words, like 'I'm killing everybody,' he was just screaming crazy things," Randazzo said. "They said he went in a city uniform and he came in and just went crazy."

The 34-year-old suspect was taken into custody about two blocks from the restaurant. Charges are pending.

He will undergo a psychiatric evaluation. It appears to have been an unprovoked attack, investigators said.

A hammer was recovered at the scene.

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