Maksim Gelman was born on May 31, 1987, in Ukraine, which was then part of the Soviet Union. He emigrated to the United States as a child with his mother Svetlana to join his father, who had immigrated earlier in 1994 and gained U.S. citizenship. The family initially settled in Brooklyn, New York, particularly in the Brighton Beach area, known for its large Russian-speaking population. Later, Gelman's father returned to Ukraine, where he was reportedly killed, while Maksim and his mother stayed in the U.S. Maksim eventually became a U.S. citizen in 2005.

Gelman attended James Madison High School and later transferred to Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, though it’s unclear if he graduated. He was socially awkward and isolated during his school years, known more for his skateboarding than for friendships. Reports describe him as paranoid, antisocial, and unpopular, which seemed to fuel a growing sense of resentment and instability.

By his twenties, Gelman had already developed a significant criminal record. He had multiple arrests for graffiti vandalism and drug-related offenses, including cocaine and PCP possession. He was also rumored to be dealing drugs. Among graffiti circles, Gelman—known as “Wes”—was disliked and considered a problematic outsider. At the time of the 2011 attacks, he was unemployed and spiraling into increasingly erratic behavior. He expressed paranoia about being followed by DEA agents and had delusions about fleeing to the Dominican Republic. 

Maksim Gelman’s stabbing rampage began just after 5:00 a.m. on February 11, 2011, and would span over 28 hours, leaving four people dead and five others injured. The spree began in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, when Gelman got into an argument with his mother over using his stepfather’s Lexus. When his stepfather, 54-year-old Aleksandr Kuznetsov, intervened, Gelman attacked him, stabbing him over 55 times using a kitchen knife and a carving fork. He stole the Lexus and fled, running over a crossing guard and breaking her leg in the process.

Determined to target people he believed had wronged him, Gelman next went to the home of Yelena Bulchenko, a 20-year-old woman he was reportedly infatuated with. She wasn’t home, but her mother, 56-year-old Anna Bulchenko, was. Gelman stabbed Anna to death around 10:30 a.m. He left the scene and returned hours later when Yelena came home. Upon discovering her mother's body, she called 911—but before she could flee, Gelman returned, chased her outside, and stabbed her 11 times, killing her.

After the murder, Gelman stole another vehicle by ramming his car into Arthur DiCrescento’s. When DiCrescento confronted him, Gelman stabbed him and stole his car. Later, he ran down 62-year-old Stephen Tanenbaum, who was walking in the street, killing him.

Just before 1:00 a.m. on February 12, Gelman abandoned the car and hailed a livery cab. He stabbed the driver, Fitz Fullerton, and later attacked another man, Shelden Pottinger, stabbing him and stealing his car. The spree culminated that morning when Gelman boarded a northbound 3 train at 34th Street - Penn Station. Inside the subway, he randomly attacked Joseph Lozito, stabbing him in the head and face. Lozito, despite his injuries, managed to fight Gelman to the ground, at which point police—who had remained hidden in the motorman's cab—rushed out and arrested him.

Gelman was arraigned the next day and, in court, displayed no remorse. On November 30, 2011, he pleaded guilty to murder and assault. At his January 18, 2012 sentencing, he was reported to be laughing and yelling at the judge and victims' families. He received a 200-year prison sentence from Justice Vincent Del Giudice, who called him a "violent sociopath."

The subway victim, Joseph Lozito, later sued the NYPD for failing to act while Gelman attacked him. Though his account was found credible, the judge ruled that police had no “special duty” to protect him.

Maksim Gelman remains imprisoned in New York, his name forever tied to one of the most disturbing and chaotic killing sprees in the city’s recent memory.