A 36-year-old North Carolina woman was brutally attacked with a knife at Newark Liberty International Airport on Sunday evening. The horrific incident has left travelers and locals stunned. Melissa Mauldin, who was returning home from a friend’s wedding in Hoboken, was waiting for her flight in Terminal A when the attack occurred around 5 p.m. According to Mauldin’s statement, she was watching a child playing in the terminal when she suddenly felt what she described as a “huge blow” to the face.

How did the knife attack in the Newark Airport terminal happen?

“He had the knife still in the air,” Mauldin said in an interview with ABC 7’s Eyewitness News. “I felt the power of his fist and the blade was so short,” Mauldin added. Port Authority police officers who witnessed the attack immediately arrested the attacker, identified as 54-year-old Jin Xiong. Authorities recovered the knife at the scene.

Mauldin was taken to a nearby hospital where her injuries were treated. She suffered a severe laceration on the right side of her face that required 14 stitches. She also suffered fractures to her cheekbone and nose. Despite the severity of her injuries, doctors did not consider them life-threatening. Lenis Valens, a spokeswoman for the Port of Entry Police, confirmed that Xiong was charged with aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a firearm.

The suspect, who authorities say is homeless, is currently being held in the Essex County Jail awaiting trial.

The seemingly random nature of the attack has raised concerns about security in public spaces, particularly in high-traffic areas such as airports. Despite strict security measures in place at airports, this incident serves as a stark reminder that unexpected dangers can arise even in seemingly safe environments.

“I’ve never felt uncomfortable. And last night I told my fiancé Max that I feel like all this security is being taken away from me and I didn’t even do anything to deserve this,” Mauldin told ABC 7.