A 28-Year-Old Brooklyn Runner Died After Being Stabbed During an Evening Run. Police Are Still Searching for Her Attacker.

On Friday, October 30, Katie Suarez headed out at night along Brooklyn's Shore Parkway Greenway, a waterfront route she'd become quite familiar with from her regular runs around the neighborhood. The 28-year-old was stabbed in the neck that evening and died Monday at NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn, her family confirmed.The attack came just two days before the New York City Marathon, when the city was already buzzing with runners gearing up for Sunday's race. (Suarez was not registered for the event.) More than 60,000 people would be making their way through the five boroughs that weekend, but Suarez never got to finish her own run. Her death has since shaken the running community, particularly women who know all too well the safety concerns that can come with heading out alone.Suarez usually met her parents after finishing up at the TD Bank near Caesar's Bay Shopping Center in Bath Beach where she worked, and joined them for the commute home. On the day of the attack, she switched into her running clothes and took off along the waterfront while her parents waited for her to return.According to The New York Times, her father, Nery Suarez, called just before 8 p.m. to check on where she was. Katie told him she was only about half a mile away and would be back soon, but when more time passed without any sign of her, Nery and his wife, Yasira, became worried and went out looking for her.Nery eventually found his daughter unconscious just off the running path near Bay 17th Street. She had suffered severe injuries to her neck and was rushed to the hospital, where she remained on life support until her death on November 2."I'm just left with this pain, and, oh my God, remembering my daughter as she was," Yasira told the New York Daily News on Tuesday. "She just wanted to run.”As of November 6, police had not identified or arrested a suspect. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Monday that investigators were still trying to determine what led to the attack, though they had no reason to believe Suarez was specifically targeted and "right now, it seems that it's random.”Finding evidence has been especially difficult along the section of the greenway where Suarez was attacked, which is dark and has no reported surveillance cameras. Investigators have searched the surrounding area using everything possible, from drones to police dogs and scuba divers, while also hoping passing motorists might have recorded something useful."We are looking for Teslas, we're looking for Uber drivers," Kenny said, explaining that dashcam footage could help police determine whether the attacker crossed the Belt Parkway while escaping.The lack of lighting has also brought up plenty of concerns from people in the neighborhood who regularly use the path. At a vigil held Wednesday night, neighbors gathered near the waterfront to remember Suarez and discuss what needs to change to make the area safer after dark."There's no lights anywhere. It's very dark. A lot of trees, can't see anything," resident Ann Florio-Lopez told ABC7 New York.Another woman at the vigil said she'd already changed her routine because of the attack, telling the station she “stopped walking at night.”Runners outside Brooklyn have been speaking up as well, especially with the attack happening so close to marathon weekend. Fast Women shared Suarez's story on Instagram, expressing disappointment that her death hadn't received more attention within the running community. The account also pointed to complaints from locals who had reportedly been asking for better lighting and security along the greenway for years.For Suarez's younger brother, Christopher, running has taken on a new meaning. He told 1010 WINS that Katie was always looking out for him, often calling to check in whenever he wasn't home at his usual time.Now Christopher wants to honor her by running “all the miles she wanted to run” and the races she’ll never get the chance to do.Sean Abrams was the Senior Editor, Growth and Engagement at Men’s Health. He’s a former hip hop dancer who likes long walks on the beach and large glasses of tequila. You can find his previous work at Maxim, Elite Daily, and AskMen.