Teen indicted for stabbing poet to death in random NYC attack
Brian Dowling, 18, was indicted Wednesday for the murder of New York City poet and activist Ryan Carson, whose fatal stabbing was captured on horrifying surveillance video.
A teen was indicted Wednesday for the caught-on-camera slaying of New York City poet and activist Ryan Carson in front of his horrified girlfriend as the couple was on their way home from a wedding.
Brian Dowling, 18, briefly appeared in Brooklyn Criminal Court wearing an orange prison-issued jumpsuit, as more than two dozen of his family members and friends packed the gallery.
A prosecutor announced that Dowling had been indicted on second-degree murder and other charges for the frenzied knife attack on 31-year-old Carson on Oct. 2 on a Brooklyn sidewalk.
He is being held without bail. His lawyer, Ken Montgomery, declined to comment on the indictment.
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Montgomery previously told Fox News Digital that Dowling is a "good kid" who wasn't "looking for trouble" before allegedly charging at Carson and spitting in the face of his girlfriend, Claudia Morales.
Video surveillance shows a man police have identified as Dowling yell, "What the f--- are you looking at?" and "I'll kill you," before stabbing Carson three times.
The killer turns to Morales, spits in her face, then kicks Dowling, who is curled up on the sidewalk mortally wounded from a puncture to his heart.
Dowling allegedly fled and Carson was pronounced dead at 4:18 a.m., according to a criminal complaint. Dowling was arrested three days later and was spotted weeping in a police cruiser.
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"I do know this young man comes from a good family, and I can’t imagine him not being remorseful for something like this if the facts are what they say they are [and he did this]," Montgomery previously said. "He is a great kid but clearly may have some mental health issues."
Carson worked as a senior solid waste campaign manager at the New York Public Interest Research Group, according to his LinkedIn.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., with whom Carson had worked on campaigns, posted tributes to the community activist on social media.
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A GoFundMe page has raised more than $73,000 for Morales and Carson's friends to take time off work to mourn his death.
"We are a collective of Ryan's close friends, reeling from a brutal loss," the page says. "We are asking for your help on behalf of his partner in easing the burden and stress of this horrifying situation so that we can have space and time to grieve and remember Ryan. Immediate needs are to offset the costs of working-class people taking time off of work to properly mourn."
