A shooter wearing a gas mask and a construction vest opened fire on a rush-hour subway train in Brooklyn on Tuesday, killing at least ten people, according to officials.
Police were searching the city for the gunman when they came upon a rented van that might have been linked to the incident. Five people were critically ill, but they were expected to live. At least 29 people were hospitalised with gunshot wounds, smoke inhalation, and other ailments.
The gunshots erupted aboard a train as it approached a stop in the Sunset Park neighborhood, which is roughly a 15-minute train trip from Manhattan and is primarily Hispanic and Asian.
Frightened people bolted off the train while others hobbled out, creating a terrifying scene. On the platform, at least one cyclist collapsed.
The incident was not being investigated as terrorism, according to Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell, but she was “not ruling anything out.” The shooter’s motive was unclear.
According to two law enforcement sources, authorities provided cops with a photo of the gunman and the Arizona licence plate number of a U-Haul vehicle to be on the lookout for. According to one of the authorities, police discovered an identical, unoccupied U-Haul vehicle in Brooklyn by early evening.
While waiting for a bomb squad and a highly specialised emergency services unit, police closed a street approximately four miles from the shooting scene and cleared surrounding businesses.
According to one of the law enforcement sources, investigators discovered a credit card at the location of Tuesday’s shooting, which led them to identify a person of interest. The credit card was used to rent the
U-Haul vehicle that police discovered in Brooklyn. The two officials talked to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the inquiry.
Officials said they found a firearm at the site, as well as various smoke devices and other items that they are examining. The suspect is thought to have possessed at least two extended magazines, according to the police.
According to police, investigators think the firearm jammed, stopping the suspect from continuing to fire. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) has conducted an urgent trace to locate the gun’s maker, supplier, and first owner.
The incident alarmed a community already on edge due to rising gun crime and the looming danger of terrorism. It made some New Yorkers fearful of travelling on the nation’s biggest subway system, prompting authorities to beef up security at transit hubs from Philadelphia to Connecticut.
Last November, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced that surveillance cameras had been installed in all 472 subway stations around the city, claiming that they would put offenders on a “fast route to trail.” However, the cameras at the station where the train arrived appeared to be broken.
Janno Lieber, the MTA’s system chief, told TV interviewers that he didn’t know why the cameras weren’t operating. However, he stated that authorities had “a lot of different chances” of catching a view of the gunman from cameras located along the subway line.
A video taken by a metro user via a closed-door between railway carriages shows a person in a hooded sweatshirt extending an arm and pointing at something as five bangs are heard. In another video, smoke and passengers flow out of a subway vehicle in another video, with several individuals limping. Someone yells, “Someone call 911!”
Other footage and photographs from the event show personnel caring for bleeding passengers on the platform, some of whom are lying in little puddles of blood, and another on the subway car’s floor.
Governor Kathy Hochul issued a warning to New Yorkers as police sought the shooter. Governor Kathy Hochul issued a warning to New Yorkers as police sought the shooter.
This person has yet to be apprehended. “This individual is dangerous”, the Democrat stated just that afternoon at a press conference. “Right now in New York City, there is an active shooter scenario.”
Despite the fact that fire and police officers reacted to allegations of an explosion, Ms. Sewell stated during the press conference that no explosive devices were found at the Brooklyn subway. Several smoke devices were discovered on the scene, according to municipal spokeswoman Fabien Levy.
Mr. Lieber, the MTA chairman, emphasised that when passengers exited the train, quick-thinking transit staff escorted them to another train across the platform for safety.
On the opposite train, high school student John Butsikaris noticed a conductor pushing everyone to board. Until the following stop, when he heard calls for medical help and his train was evacuated, he assumed it was just a minor issue.
The 15-year-old told The Associated Press, “I’m really shaken.” Even though I didn’t witness what happened, I’m still terrified since what happened was only a few feet away from me.
According to their union, no transit workers were physically injured. President Joe Biden said in Menlo, Iowa.
“The first responders who leapt in action, including citizens, civilians, who didn’t hesitate to rescue their fellow passengers and sought to shield them,”
In a video message, Adams, who remains in isolation after a positive COVID-19 test on Sunday, said,
“he will not let New Yorkers be frightened, even by a single man.”
In recent months, New York City has seen a rash of shootings and high-profile killings, including on the Brooklyn subways. One of the most devastating occurred in January when a stranger shoved a lady in front of a train to her death.
Published By: Bhavya Dedhia
