Every year, millions of people travel to New York City during the holiday season. Many will stop at Macy’s Herald Square to shop, see Santa Claus, and take in the magic of Christmas at the iconic department store. On December 11, 2025, the typically happy spot became one of terror in the wake of a shocking attack. Kerri Aherne, 43, allegedly purchased a knife inside the store and stabbed a mother as she changed her baby’s diaper in a bathroom. Thankfully, the woman survived, and her baby was unharmed.
Police arrested Aherne, who reportedly has a history of mental illness and left a psychiatric hospital hours before the attack. Aherne told the New York Post she heard a voice that told her she had to kill that day. “It said that I had to go to Macy’s and kill someone,” she said.
Aherne allegedly left the transitional housing unit at the Manhattan Psychiatric Center with $150 from a social worker. She reportedly used some of the money to buy a knife on Macy’s eighth floor. Aherne said she took the knife to the seventh-floor bathroom as the voice instructed her.
“The voice said, ‘Kill someone in the bathroom, or you will die,” she recalled. She told the Post she stabbed the 38-year-old tourist in the back, who began to scream for someone to call 911. Aherne recalled blood covering her and asking the police where she was headed while in the patrol car following the stabbing. She felt “relieved” that they took her to jail and not back to a mental health facility. Aherne said at one time that doctors had diagnosed her with schizoaffective disorder, but she doesn’t believe she has the condition.
Aherne told the news outlet she’s heard voices since the age of 6 and claimed the government is trying to control her. She alleged the government uses a weapon buried in Russia to transmit the voices to her head.
“I am being tortured by the government,” she said, per the Post. “They put words into my head. They told me that I had to kill or they would kill me.”
She then reportedly shifted the conversation to concern for the victim. “I apologize. Is she okay? I know she had a little baby,” Aherne said. “It’s not my fault. She should be upset with the government.”
Thankfully, everyone survived the attack. According to ABC News, the victim and her husband both work for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. As the unidentified victim began to scream, her husband reportedly disarmed Aherne and held her until police arrived. Emergency crews took the mom to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition.
A Macy’s spokesperson shared a statement with WABC following the horrific attack. “We are deeply saddened about the incident that took place today as the safety of our customers and colleagues is our top priority. We kindly defer any further questions to the local authorities,” the statement reads.
Our hearts go out to everyone involved in this shocking story. Thankfully, no one died. Clearly, Aherne needs help, and maybe this incident will allow her to get the assistance she needs. For now, she faces charges of attempted murder, assault, and criminal possession of a weapon.
