Maksim Gelman: The 2011 New York City Killing Spree
Background
Maksim Gelman was a 23-year-old Brooklyn resident who carried out a violent killing spree across New York City on February 11 and February 12, 2011. Over approximately 28 hours, Gelman murdered four people, wounded several others, committed multiple carjackings and led police on an extensive manhunt through Brooklyn and Manhattan. The attacks involved repeated stabbings, assaults with vehicles and the theft of several automobiles.
Gelman was born in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic on May 31, 1987, and later moved to the United States with his family. He lived in the Sheepshead Bay area of Brooklyn and had accumulated a criminal record involving drugs, graffiti and other offenses before the murders. Acquaintances described him as unpredictable, confrontational and increasingly troubled during the period preceding the attacks.
The Murder of Aleksandr Kuznetsov
The violence began shortly after 5:00 a.m. on February 11, 2011, inside the apartment Gelman shared with his mother and his stepfather, Aleksandr Kuznetsov, in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. Gelman had awakened his mother and demanded to know where his passport was located. He reportedly wanted to take the family's gray 2004 Lexus and leave the country, but his mother refused to give him the keys.
The argument awakened Kuznetsov, who entered the kitchen and confronted Gelman. Gelman seized a kitchen knife and repeatedly stabbed his stepfather. When the knife broke during the attack, he continued using a carving fork. Kuznetsov suffered dozens of wounds and died inside the apartment. Gelman's mother was present but was not physically attacked.
After killing Kuznetsov, Gelman took the keys to the Lexus and fled. As he sped through the neighborhood, he struck a female crossing guard with the vehicle, causing a serious leg injury. The collision marked the beginning of a series of assaults, crashes and carjackings that continued into the following morning.
The Murders of Anna and Yelena Bulchenko
Gelman next went to the home of 56-year-old Anna Bulchenko in the Midwood section of Brooklyn. Anna was the mother of 20-year-old Yelena Bulchenko, a young woman Gelman knew and had reportedly pursued romantically. Friends of Yelena later said she had not been involved in a romantic relationship with him and did not return his interest.
At approximately 10:30 a.m. on February 11, Gelman entered the Bulchenko residence and fatally stabbed Anna. He then left the home but remained in the area, apparently waiting for Yelena to return. Yelena had spent the previous night at a friend's residence and was unaware that her mother had been killed.
Yelena returned during the afternoon and discovered her mother's body. She fled outside and called emergency services. At approximately 4:00 p.m., Gelman returned and encountered Yelena near the residence. When she saw him, she attempted to escape. Gelman chased her down the street, caught her and stabbed her repeatedly in public. Yelena died from her wounds despite efforts to save her.
The murders of Anna and Yelena Bulchenko intensified the citywide search for Gelman. Police released his photograph and information about the stolen Lexus as officers searched transportation centers, highways, apartment buildings and neighborhoods throughout Brooklyn.
Carjacking and the Death of Stephen Tanenbaum
After murdering Yelena, Gelman drove away in the Lexus and soon collided with a vehicle operated by Arthur DiCrescento. When DiCrescento got out to investigate the crash, Gelman stabbed him several times and stole his automobile. DiCrescento survived the assault.
While driving the stolen vehicle, Gelman struck 62-year-old pedestrian Stephen Tanenbaum on Avenue R near Ocean Avenue in Brooklyn. Tanenbaum was thrown onto the hood and carried for a distance before falling into the street. He suffered catastrophic injuries and was transported to a hospital, where he died. Gelman continued driving without stopping to assist him.
Police located abandoned vehicles connected to the rampage, but Gelman repeatedly changed transportation and moved between different parts of the city. His unpredictable movements complicated the manhunt and allowed him to remain at large through the night.
Attacks During the Night
Shortly before 1:00 a.m. on February 12, Gelman abandoned DiCrescento's stolen vehicle and entered a livery cab driven by Fitz Fullerton. During the ride, Gelman attacked Fullerton with a knife. Fullerton was wounded but escaped and survived.
Gelman then approached another vehicle occupied by a couple. He attacked the driver, Shelden Pottinger, stabbing and cutting Pottinger's hand as he attempted to take control of the automobile. Gelman succeeded in stealing the vehicle and again fled through the city.
By this point, photographs of Gelman had appeared in newspapers and television reports. Police officers throughout New York City were instructed to watch subway stations, bus terminals and other locations where he might attempt to hide or leave the area.
The Subway Attack and Arrest
On the morning of February 12, Gelman entered the New York City subway system. Shortly after 8:00 a.m., he boarded a northbound number 3 train at the 34th Street–Penn Station stop in Manhattan. Passengers recognized him from news coverage and alerted transit personnel and police.
While aboard the train, Gelman approached the conductor's compartment, struck the door and claimed that he was a police officer. When the door did not open, he turned toward passenger Joseph Lozito, who was seated nearby. Gelman lunged at Lozito and attacked him with a knife, cutting and stabbing him in the head, face and upper body.
Lozito fought back, grabbed Gelman's arm and used his weight to force him to the floor. After a physical struggle, Lozito helped immobilize Gelman. NYPD officers assigned to the manhunt emerged from the train compartment and placed Gelman under arrest. Lozito was hospitalized with serious wounds but survived.
Gelman's capture ended the killing spree approximately 28 hours after it began. Investigators recovered the knife and connected him to the murders, assaults, vehicle thefts and crashes through witness accounts, physical evidence and his possession of stolen property.
Victims Killed
- Aleksandr Kuznetsov, 54 – Gelman's stepfather. He was stabbed to death shortly after 5:00 a.m. on February 11, 2011, inside the family apartment in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn.
- Anna Bulchenko, 56 – The mother of Yelena Bulchenko. She was fatally stabbed at approximately 10:30 a.m. on February 11, 2011, inside her home in the Midwood section of Brooklyn.
- Yelena Bulchenko, 20 – An acquaintance of Gelman. She was chased and repeatedly stabbed near her family's Brooklyn residence at approximately 4:00 p.m. on February 11, 2011.
- Stephen Tanenbaum, 62 – A pedestrian who was deliberately struck by a stolen vehicle near Avenue R and Ocean Avenue in Brooklyn on February 11, 2011. He later died from his injuries.
Surviving Victims
- Unidentified crossing guard – Struck by the stolen Lexus in Brooklyn on February 11, 2011, and suffered a broken leg.
- Arthur DiCrescento – Stabbed several times after Gelman crashed into his vehicle and carjacked him on February 11, 2011.
- Fitz Fullerton – A livery cab driver stabbed during the early morning hours of February 12, 2011.
- Shelden Pottinger – Attacked and stabbed in the hand when Gelman stole his vehicle on February 12, 2011.
- Joseph Lozito – Stabbed in the head, face and upper body aboard a number 3 subway train in Manhattan on February 12, 2011. Lozito fought Gelman and helped bring the rampage to an end.
Charges and Guilty Plea
Gelman was arraigned on February 13, 2011. Prosecutors in Brooklyn charged him with four murders, attempted murders, assaults, robberies, carjackings and other crimes arising from the attacks. Manhattan prosecutors separately pursued charges connected to the subway assault on Joseph Lozito.
On November 30, 2011, Gelman pleaded guilty to the charges against him, including four counts of murder and charges related to the surviving victims. His plea eliminated the need for a lengthy trial and established his legal responsibility for the complete series of attacks.
Sentencing
Gelman was sentenced in New York State Supreme Court in Brooklyn on January 18, 2012. During the proceeding, he repeatedly interrupted the court, laughed, shouted and directed hostile comments toward the victims' relatives. Justice Vincent Del Giudice described Gelman as a violent sociopath and imposed consecutive sentences totaling 200 years to life in prison.
The punishment ensured that Gelman would spend the remainder of his life incarcerated. The judge emphasized that the sentence reflected not only the four murders but also the terror, injuries and lasting psychological damage inflicted on the surviving victims and the wider New York City community.
Aftermath
The case drew widespread attention because the attacks moved rapidly from private residences to public streets, automobiles and the subway system. Gelman's use of several stolen vehicles and his willingness to attack strangers made it difficult for officers to predict where he would appear next.
The subway confrontation also generated controversy over the timing of the police response. Joseph Lozito later alleged that officers remained inside the train compartment during part of his struggle with Gelman and intervened only after Gelman had been forced to the floor. Lozito filed a lawsuit against New York City, but the case was dismissed after a court concluded that the officers did not have a legally recognized special duty to protect him as an individual.
The February 2011 rampage remains one of New York City's most notorious modern killing sprees. Four people lost their lives, five others suffered physical injuries and numerous witnesses were exposed to sudden violence across two boroughs. Gelman's guilty plea and 200-year sentence formally ended the criminal proceedings, but the consequences of the attacks continued for the families and survivors long after his imprisonment.
