Update 4/1/2020: Prosecutors are seeking to charge Thomas Grafton with murder after one of the victims, Rabbi Josef Neumann has passed away on March 29, 2020; more here.

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Update 1/27/2020: Court psychiatrist Dr. Andrew Levin states Grafton is not mentally fit to stand trial; more here. Meanwhile one of his victims, 72-year-old Josef Neumann, remains in a vegetative coma and a fractured skull from the machete stabbing.

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Update 12/31/19: Thomas Grafton, 38, has been charged with 5 attempts of murder and 1 count of burglary; more here. The FBI has located a Honda Pilot vehicle which was seen leaving a scene in November where an assault and stabbing of 29-year-old Jewish man had taken place. The car reportedly belongs to the mother of Grafton Thomas and the FBI is in possession of the knife allegedly used.

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Five people have been stabbed, one critically, Saturday night EST time in a horrific attack at what is known as Rabbi Rottenburg’s Shul, located in the Forshay neighborhood in Monsey, according to the ultra-Orthodox website Vos Iz Neias.

Motti Seligson, director of media for Chabad.org, stated that congregants, Hassidim, were gathered for a Hanukkah party and confirmed the preliminary details of the event.

According to Vos Iz Neias, a black male entered the synagogue and pulled out a machete, then removed its cover and started stabbing people. The Orthodox Jews Public Affairs Council of the area posted on Twitter that five people were stabbed.

The attacked fled in a Nissan Centra plate number HPT 5747; anyone with information is urged to call 911 immediately.