Salman Rushdie stabbing witness describes horrible onstage attack scene

• David Brody witnessed the attack on Salman Rushdie at the Chautauqua Institution in Buffalo, New York.
• Rushdie is on a ventilator unable to speak and will likely lose one eye, his agent says.
• Authorities have detained Hadi Matar, 24, from New Jersey.

David Brody was on vacation in western New York. He was from Pittsburgh and wanted to go to an event at the Chautauqua Institution. “They always have a speaker at 10:45 a.m., and today’s speaker was Salman Rushdie,” he said.

He walked into the theatre right as the well-known author was being attacked. Brody says, “I was about to go through the gate when I heard this loud roar.” “At first, I thought it was someone greeting him, but then I heard that it wasn’t applause.”

Inside, a stage full of men were helping Rushdie, and police officers were taking care of the attacker. Rushdie is on a ventilator and can’t talk. His agent told The New York Times that Rushdie will probably lose one eye.

Hadi Matar, a 24-year-old man from New Jersey, has been held by the police for the attack.

The people in the theatre did not get upset. “Brody says, “Most people stayed there and sat down. No one was running. No one was scared. People sat there until they were told to leave.”

Within 10 to 12 minutes, a person in charge told everyone to leave in an orderly way and take their things with them. “Outside, people got together in small groups and held prayer or vigil meetings on the spot,” Brody says.

Brody says that they were broken up when everyone was told to spread out because officials were “locking down the area” and “police dogs were searching the grounds for bombs or anything suspicious.”

“Knowing Mr. Rushdie’s past,” says Brody, “I was surprised, but not completely shocked by the attack.” He has gotten a lot of death threats.”

Brody said that there isn’t much security at the Chautauqua Institution because it is a “very quiet, idyllic place.” “To get into the grounds or the amphitheatre, there are no metal detectors. It’s on a lake with many, many docks, “he said about what he saw. “So I guess I wasn’t surprised that someone could get in from that point of view.”

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