CHAUTAUQUA, N.Y. (WKBW) — On Friday, Chautauqua County was rocked. In a place that's normally peaceful, it quickly turned into panic when novelist, Salman Rushdie, was stabbed.
Chautauqua residents said multiple doctors and nurses were luckily on site when Rushdie was attacked. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said while it was traumatic for the people there, they did whatever they needed to do.
“They sprung into action. They saved a man’s life,” Hochul said.
As a native Western New Yorker, Governor Hochul said this isn't just a trip to talk on a microphone in front of people. This is personal for her.
“My husband and I brought our children here, so this isn’t foreign to me. This is home,” Hochul said.
In the past three months, Hochul has been on the forefront of action for Western New York. She's introduced gun laws, and now, social media surveillance with the help of her Attornery General, Letitia James.
“I will tell you right now as your Governor, New York State will always stand up to protect freedom of expression. We condemn any individual or any group that dare violate the sanctity of a place like Chautauqua or to an attempt on an assassination of a world leader,” Hochul
Because ultimately, Hochul wants to connect the dots of why this is happening before it happens and harms too many people.
“I don’t want to be in the business of solving crimes, I want to be in the business of preventing crimes,” Hochul said.
