A violent and unprovoked attack inside Grand Central Terminal left three elderly victims injured Shabbos morning, after a man wielding a machete slashed commuters before being shot and killed by police, authorities said.

The incident unfolded around 9:50 a.m. on the 4, 5, and 6 subway platform, where an 85-year-old man sustained a severe head wound, a 65-year-old man suffered cuts to his head, and a 70-year-old woman was slashed in the shoulder, according to police.

Images from the scene showed one victim with blood-soaked bandages wrapped around his head, while the attacker was later seen being transported on a stretcher.

Two NYPD detectives working overtime transit security detail responded to the scene and confronted the suspect, identified as 44-year-old Anthony Griffin. Officers ordered him repeatedly to drop the weapon.

“From the top of the stairs, they observed the individual on the platform, and they immediately ordered him to drop the knife,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a press briefing. “The individual was armed with a large knife described as a machete and was behaving erratically, repeatedly stating that he was Lucifer.”

According to Tisch, Griffin ignored repeated commands from officers.

Griffin refused to comply “with at least 20 orders to drop the knife,” she said.

Police also attempted to calm the situation and offered assistance.

Officers also “attempted to deescalate” and offer assistance, saying “We are going to get you help,” Tisch told reporters.

Despite those efforts, Griffin advanced toward the officers with the weapon raised.

But Griffin advanced toward them with the blade extended, she said.

“One officer discharged his firearm striking the perpetrator twice,” Tisch said.

Emergency responders transported the three victims to area hospitals, where they were listed in stable condition.

Griffin was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, authorities said.

Police sources noted that Griffin had a prior arrest involving menacing with a sharp object.

The two officers involved in the shooting were also taken to a hospital for treatment of tinnitus following the incident.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani praised the response of law enforcement, writing that he was “grateful to the NYPD for their quick response and for preventing additional violence.”

He added that the department would follow standard procedure in reviewing the shooting.

“The NYPD is conducting an internal investigation and will release body-worn camera footage, as it does in all incidents involving the discharge of an officer’s firearm,” he said.

Witnesses described scenes of panic and confusion as the violence unfolded.

“I was coming from Connecticut when ‘Boom!’ everyone got down on the floor fast,” said Claudio Delgado, 53. “Then the police said, ‘Get outta here! Get outta here fast!’ They said it was somebody with a gun and police were involved too. It’s scary. This is how New York City is now. It’s too much violence in New York City now.”

Another worker at the station recounted seeing the aftermath as emergency crews rushed to treat the suspect.

“I saw them [paramedics], they came up with somebody on the stretcher, and they were pumping his chest,” he said. “It’s crazy. You could be on the platform minding your business, and someone had a machete, it’s scary, scary, scary.”

Jessica Munoz, who works at a nearby bakery, described the fear as people fled the station.

“I was scared, we don’t know what we can do, we just see the people running, and I asked the guy and he said there was a shooting downstairs,” she said. “It’s scary, we didn’t know what we could do. It’s crazy.”