Day: May 12, 2025

Police in Brooklyn are searching for a suspect who allegedly attacked a fellow straphanger on a city bus earlier this month. 

According to law enforcement sources, the assault took place on board a B15 MTA bus at Marcus Garvey Boulevard and Lexington Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant on Sunday, May 4, at around 5 p.m. 

While the bus was in motion, the suspect and a 70-year-old victim became involved in a heated argument that soon escalated to violence, police said. The brutish perp, using an unknown object, then pummeled the victim in the face before immediately fleeing the bus to parts unknown before officers from the 79th Precinct arrived on the scene. 

It is unclear what the pair argued about, but police said they did not know each other. 

Meanwhile, the victim was treated at the scene for injuries to his face. 

On May 12, the NYPD released a surveillance photo and video of the suspect. He is shown wearing a gray Adidas shirt and blue jeans, and carrying a bag. 

So far, no arrests have been made, but the investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with information regarding this incident can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential

News of the assault follows a fatal stabbing that occurred on board an MTA J90 shuttle bus in Cypress Hills on May 11. A 41-year-old man was stabbed to death following an argument with a passenger, with the suspect fleeing the scene immediately. Police are still searching for the male suspect, who was last seen wearing a gray sweatsuit. 

Meanwhile, MTA officials have reported a decrease in transit crime. According to the latest NYPD data, transit crime is down over 8% year to date compared to the same period last year. 

Despite the statistics, the transit system has seen several high-profile incidents on buses and rails. 

Most recently, a Bronx man surrendered following a days-long manhunt after a passenger was stabbed to death inside the City Hall subway station on April 25 following an argument about stepped-on shoes. 

It was a picture-perfect day at Owl’s Head Park on Saturday as Viking Fest 2025 brought together a crowd eager to embrace and celebrate Scandinavian culture. Under clear blue skies, the annual event featured a variety of traditional games, music and performances, bringing the Viking era to life for all ages.

“We’re very grateful to be here, having beautiful weather and being able to share our culture with our community and the larger tri-state area,” said Victoria Hofmo, founder of the Scandinavian East Coast Museum, which organizes the event.

The festival’s immersive Viking village drew attendees from across the city and state, with reenactors portraying life in the Viking Age. Among the main attractions was a lively Viking gladiator battle, where skilled performers wielded swords and axes, reenacting epic combat to the cheers of spectators.

Festivities also included musical performances, such as Swedish Meatball (aka Ellen Lindstrom) on the accordion and the Clann Eireann Pipe Band, while traditional dances were showcased by groups including the Middle Eastern Dancer Arabella Espana and the Young Dancers in Repertory, who brought Nordic-inspired moves to the stage.

The day’s games, held in honor of Crazy Carlsen, included favorites like the scavenger hunt and “Ring Around a Viking,” as well as the ever-popular “Clippity Hop Horse Drop” — complete with inflatable steeds. Other highlights included “Jumping Vikings,” one of the festival’s most cherished traditions.

Viking Fest has been a Bay Ridge staple since the early 20th century, serving as a reminder of the enduring legacy of the Scandinavian immigrants who helped shape the community’s fabric. But it’s not just for those with Scandinavian roots.

“This is the melting pot of New York City,” “Eclectic Ellen” Lindstromon told Brooklyn Paper last year. “Everybody is welcome.”

Viking Fest also serves as the kickoff of Norwegian Day parade season in the neighborhood. Aside from a two-year hiatus during the pandemic, the Norwegian Immigration Association has held a 17th of May Parade yearly since 1952 on the Sunday closest to the namesake date.

This year’s 17th of May Parade will step off next Sunday, May 18 at 1:30 p.m. near Third Avenue and 83rd Street, ending near Leif Ericson Park.

Additional reporting by Arthur de Gaeta

The Uncommon Collegiate Charter High School (UCC) debate team is making waves in its very first year as part of the Brooklyn Debate League (BDL).

Laud Olufade, a junior, made history as one of two BDL rookies to qualify for the National Catholic Forensic League (NCFL) Nationals, which will take place over Memorial Day weekend in Chicago.  Since the team’s fall launch, Olufade has won first place at a local congressional debate and ranked in the top five at the Calvin Coolidge Open at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.  

“Debate is not about ‘You’re wrong, I’m right. It’s ‘I’m right, but here’s why’,” Olufade said. “I’m going to explain it to you in a way that’s thoughtful. I’m going to change your mind.”

Olufade isn’t the only UCC debater to do well in the team’s inaugural season. He, along with junior Mackenzie Pettiford and senior Alyssa Moye, qualified for the state championships in April. 

For Pettiford, the debate season has been a whirlwind. Although she initially doubted her ability, the rookie debater grew more confident with each competition, holding her own against debaters with years of practice and private coaching under their belts.

“Confidence is the key to being good,” Pettiford said. “You have to know in your own mind that you can leave your impact on a topic.”

The UCC Debate team launched in October as part of the High School Student Talent  program at Uncommon Schools NYC, and victories followed soon after. But these debaters don’t see their wins as beginner’s luck —they’ve put in the hard work: each member spends several hours each week researching, writing speeches, and practicing. 

The UCC Debate team is part of a larger core initiative by Uncommon Schools, which has four high schools in Brooklyn, to give students the opportunity to explore their passions and interests, foster their talents, and find their purpose during their high school years.

Across all of Uncommon’s Brooklyn high schools and throughout the school day, students can explore 87 project-based courses in 55 unique content areas, from video production to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and take part in competitive teams like robotics and speech and debate. 

Teachers like Marissa Bushlack serve as steadfast champions throughout the journey. 

“They’ve come so far in their first year,” she said. “Watching them grow is such a gift.”

Brooklyn Debate League Coach Angie Lytle echoes the sentiment. A former state debate champion herself, Lytle visited the campus weekly to teach the team the fundamentals of congressional debate. 

“At the beginning of the year, I had to teach them the format,” Lytle said. “They had to learn the speech structure. Then they had to learn about a topic in a short period of time, take out the big themes, and apply them to pieces of legislation.”

Students blossomed under Lytle’s guidance. 

“It’s been a remarkable shift since October,” Lytle said. “We’ve moved past the basics. Now I’m able to work with Mackenzie on really high-level argumentation, and Laud’s improvement has really come from him knowing what to do and feeling confident enough to get up there and do it.”

Both students credit debate with helping them see the value of their voice. 

“Debate has taught me that I’m an advocate,” Olufade said. “I want to speak to everyday injustice and get my and my people’s voices out there.” 

Olufade plans for a career in diplomacy or politics.   

Pettiford, an aspiring lawyer, added, “You don’t have to look a certain way to debate. Us being there [as black public school students from Brooklyn], by doing well, we’re changing the narrative.”

With only a few months left in the debate season, members of the UCC debate team are setting new goals. Olufade’s is to win a title at the national competition, while Pettiford’s is to complete her application for QuestBridge (a prestigious, full-ride scholarship for high-achieving students). The intense work required for both might dissuade others, but the rigors of the debate team have prepared these juniors to face the future with determination and confidence. 

Bushlack knows that these wins are the first of many for her students. “I can’t wait for them to change the world,” she said. 

For more information about Uncommon Schools NYC, please visit https://uncommonschools.org/nyc-enrollment/