Boston Mayor Wu Offers Condolences to Family of Suspect Shot After Alleged Knife Attack

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu stirred controversy over the weekend after offering condolences to the family of a knife-wielding suspect who was fatally shot by an off-duty police officer. The suspect allegedly attempted to stab two individuals near a Chick-fil-A on bustling Boylston Street on Saturday night.

Police have not yet released the identity of the suspect. According to Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox, the off-duty officer intervened after witnessing the suspect threatening two people with a knife. The officer identified himself, ordered the suspect to drop the weapon, and when the suspect failed to comply, he discharged his weapon to neutralize the threat. The suspect was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Cox commended the officer’s actions, stating, "The individual was trying to stab the two individuals in the store, and the off-duty officer identified himself as a police officer, instructing them to drop the weapon, at which point the individual did not comply. The officer discharged his weapon to stop the threat." Cox also expressed pride in officers who step into action, on or off duty, to protect lives.

During a press conference, Wu extended her condolences to the suspect's family, saying, "My condolences, and all of our thoughts, are with the family of the individual whose life has been lost. And I'm also thinking of all the people who were impacted here today in one of the busier parts of the city with this tragedy." Notably, her comments did not explicitly address the two individuals who narrowly escaped harm.

Critics swiftly reacted to Wu’s remarks, with many questioning her priorities. Journalist Jonathan Choe lampooned her statement, calling the situation "all upside down in Boston" and asking, "When is the last time you heard of a mayor apologizing to the family of a knife-wielding attacker who allegedly tried to kill multiple people? What about the people who were nearly killed?"

Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk didn’t hold back, advising Boston to "desperately need a new mayor," while Fox News contributor Joe Concha, a former Boston resident, expressed disbelief: "How exactly did Boston vote for this again?" Representative Nancy Mace weighed in with sharp criticism, praising the officer and sarcastically remarking on the mayor’s "condolences to a knife-wielding man trying to kill people!"

Boston officials, including Wu and Commissioner Cox, have faced recent scrutiny for their sanctuary city policies, with critics accusing them of being soft on crime. Catherine Vitale, a former city council candidate, claimed that crime in Boston is rampant and often underreported, saying, "There's tons of crime almost every single day. There's a shooting. We don't always hear about them, but we hear them because we're there."

Wu is scheduled to testify in Washington, D.C. this week alongside other Democratic mayors regarding sanctuary policies. Requests for additional comment from Wu’s office went unanswered at the time of publication.