Park-goer stabbed after 2 families argue at Adventureland Amusement Park on Long Island
One man stabbed another in the stomach at a kid-friendly amusement park on Long Island Sunday afternoon after two families got into an argument, according to cops and law enforcement sources.
Shirley resident Daniel Tomasky, 42, allegedly knifed an acquaintance, James Burns, of Florida, around 4:50 p.m. at Adventureland Amusement Park, sending the 47-year-old victim to an area hospital in serious condition, Suffolk County police said.
The stabbing was sparked when two families at the popular East Farmingdale summer attraction began to quarrel, sources told The Post.
Police said several people were involved in the altercation that happened in front of at least one child.
An email to park officials was not immediately returned. But a spokesperson confirmed to Newsday earlier in the evening that the violence was the result of a confrontation between families.
Tomasky was arrested and charged with first-degree assault, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, endangering the welfare of a child and other related criminal counts, police said.
He is being held overnight in police custody before an expected arraignment in Central Islip Monday.
After a few hours of police investigating the scene of the crime, Adventureland was operating as usual, the park spokesperson told Newsday.
The park brands itself as Long Island’s leader in family fun since 1962 and is open from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. during the summer.
“I think it’s very sad because we’re here with kids,” Jessie Hagelstein, of Ronkonkoma, told News 12. “This is a children’s amusement park, and families are just coming here with their kids to have a good time.”
Park leadership previously emphasized the importance of safety at the park.
“The mom is the one that’s making their decision where to spend their entertainment dollar,” Adventureland president and co-owner Steven Gentile told WCBS in 2022. “We need to convince Mom that we are delivering a safe product here for them and that they can entertain their kids in a safe environment.”
He also noted in a CBS 2 NY interview earlier this year that the park has served generations of families.
“You’re seeing familiar faces. You’re seeing them coming with their kids, maybe sometimes with their grandkids,” he told the station. “It’s an institution.”
