Chris Olsen Recounts Witnessing Terrifying Alleged Subway Attack on New Year's Day: 'We Just Hear Screaming in the Background'

Mar. 15, 2025

Chris Olsen.Photo:Gilbert Flores/Billboard via Getty

Gilbert Flores/Billboard via Getty

Chris Olsenopened up about his terrifying experience on a New York City subway this New Year’s Day.

“People yell at each other on the subway often, so when they started yelling [Haroldson] got a little nervous but I was like, ‘It’s gonna be okay. This just kind of happens,'” he recalled.

He alleged that one of the yelling passengers pulled out “a really big knife” and continued yelling. However Olsen didn’t see the knife, so he didn’t take the situation seriously.

Then, he added, everyone got up and rushed towards Haroldson and Olsen, since they were at the end of the train car. The door between cars was jammed, but the TikTok star said he managed to “rip it open.” The group of passengers flooded into following cars with everyone behind them yelling, screaming and pushing forward. Eventually, they hit a door that was completely locked.

“But all we can hear behind us is people are screaming. We don’t know if someone has brought out a gun. We don’t know who else has been stabbed,” Olsen shared. “We just hear screaming in the background, and we keep getting pushed harder and harder against a wall with no door to open.”

Eventually, he says someone pulled the emergency brake, completely stopping the train. After what “must’ve been five minutes, but it felt like 30,” Olsen says the subway car conductor unlocked the door and they were able to file into the following car.

Chris Olsen.Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty

Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty

“I guess they locked the door behind, because then we could just sit down, and we wait like 20 minutes for the subway to eventually move to the next spot,” the social media sensation said. He also noted that he and Haroldson managed to remain calm during their time on the train, though as soon as they exited the train car, they both started crying.

To conclude his video, Olsen warned his viewers to “please stay safe” on the subway. Hours later, he postedanother reference to the incident, describing how he heard someone recognize him amid the chaos.

“Also sorry to the girl who yelled at me ‘Omg you’re Chris Olsen!’ and I yelled ‘NOT RIGHT NOW!’ while we were running away from the man wielding a knife on the subway. I was a bit overwhelmed at the time.” he wrote in overlaying text. In his caption, Olsens added, “I hope we see each other under other circumstances sometime.”

A commenter claimed to be the person he described in the video, writing, “That was me omg im so sorry,” to which Olsen replied, “Let’s get lunch xx.”

source: people.com