Police say the deadly stabbing of a man in Midtown was racially motivated.
Police say 28-year-old James Jackson traveled from Baltimore to the city specifically to attack black men.
Investigators say the Army veteran got into an argument with 66-year-old Timothy Caughman on Ninth Avenue near 36th Street while Caughman was collecting bottles from trash cans Monday night.
Jackson then allegedly attacked Caughman with a sword, stabbing him in the chest and back several times.
"It is believed that he was specifically intending to target male blacks for assault," said NYPD Assistant Chief Bill Aubry. "Based on certain information, it appears that this subject has been harboring these types of feelings for quite some time."
Caughman's neighbors say the attack has them on edge.
"I'm terrified, and I am lucky that it was not me that he targeted that day," said one neighbor. "It's horrifying. I mean, who would've ever thought? Some things come closer to home than you think."
Police say Jackson turned himself in after seeing himself on the news.
He has been charged with second-degree murder. Officials say that will probably be upgraded to a first-degree murder or hate crime charge.