The gunman in Tuesday morning’s subway horror shooting remains at large, four hours after pulling out a gas mask, detonating a smoke grenade and opening fire on a moving train filled with commuters.
At 8.24am, the gunman – described by witnesses as a 5ft 5 black man, weighing 170lbs, wearing an green construction vest, grey hoodie and gas mask, put on a gas mask on the train and then let off a smoke bomb on the northbound N train as it moved towards 36th Street in Brooklyn. He then opened fire, shooting ten people – five of whom are now in a critical but stable condition.
When the train pulled into 36th St, the gunman disappeared. The wounded and terrified commuters poured out of the subway doors and onto the platform.
Multiple smoke bombs were found at the 36th Street station, according to the FDNY. The gunman remains at large four hours after the shooting.
NYPD units are scouring the city’s empty subway tunnels to find him and a city alert has been issued.
NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said at a press conference that she had not yet ruled out terrorism as a motive but that it was not being investigated as an act of terrorism.
‘I am not ruling anything out at this point,’ she said, as she begged New Yorkers to send photos, videos or any pieces of information that they thought may be relevant to police.
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New Yorkers lie on the platform at 36th Street station after falling out of the southbound R train. They were shot on the train by a gunman who unleashed a smoke bomb and then opened fire before fleeing at around 8.30am
Terrified passengers run off the train at the 36th Street station on Tuesday morning after the shooting on the train
A mass shooting and possible explosion have rocked a subway train in New York at rush hour
Horror pictures from the scene showed blood strewn across the carriage during the latest attack to rock the city
Horrifying scene photos and videos show people covered in blood, lying on the stained subway platform after being shot
The chaos unfolded at 8.30am on Tuesday morning near the 36th Street subway station in Sunset Park, Brooklyn
A man on the northbound N train before the doors opened covering his mouth to protect from the smoke from the gunman’s grenade
This photo provided by Will B Wylde, a person is aided in a subway car in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Tuesday, April 12, 2022. A gunman filled a rush-hour subway train with smoke and shot multiple people Tuesday, leaving wounded commuters bleeding on a Brooklyn platform as others ran screaming, authorities said. Police were still searching for the suspect
Governor Kathy Hochul said: ‘This morning ordinary New Yorkers woke up in anticipation of a relatively normal day. They left their homes, went to school, their jobs and to a normal life.
‘That was brutally disrupted by an individual so cold hearted and depraved of heart. This individual is still on the loose – this person is dangerous. This is an active shooter situation right now in the city of New York.’
Mayor Eric Adams, who is in isolation after being diagnosed with COVID-19, released a video message, asking anyone with information, photos or videos of the suspect to come forward.
Schools surrounding the subway station were ordered to shelter in place and an amber alert was issued throughout much of the city.
One witness told The New York Post the gunman – who was described as a ‘5ft 5 black man weighing 170lbs’, fired ‘too many rounds to count’. It remains unclear what type of weapon he used.
This video, taken inside the next car along on the train, shows worried commuters walking away from the door as someone pounded on it , begging to be let in. They tried to open it but the door was locked
‘I thought he was an MTA worker at first because I was like, I didn’t like pay too much attention. You know? You’ve got the orange on,’ the witness said.
Yav Montano told CNN that he was on the northbound N train between 59th Street in Brooklyn and 36th Street when a smoke bomb went off inside the carriage moments.
‘It was crazy. I take the N train every morning to get to where I need to work. From 59th Street to 36th Street, the N-train is express, is where all the dramatics happened.
‘I’m in the third part of the express N train. The smoke grenade went off two minutes before we got to 36th street platform. The train was inching towards. It seemed like it was planned.
‘This smoke bomb, and what I thought was fireworks, but I’m hearing it was gunshots. I have no words for what I could see. I was in the car – I was in the front end of the third car. Everything happened at the back end.
‘People started migrating to the front of the car. I don’t know if people know this, it’s one of those old things where they locked the door to stop people traveling between trains.
‘There were people in the other car who saw what was happening and they tried to open it but couldn’t. There was blood on the floor, a lot of blood trailing on the floor.
‘At the time, I didn’t think it was a shooting. It sounded like fireworks.
‘People trampling over each other, trying to get over each other. Thankfully the train moved to the next stop and everyone filed off the train,’ he said.
The chaotic scene at the 36th Street subway station in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, on Tuesday morning
EMTs rush to the subway station on Tuesday morning after ten people were shot and another five were injured
NYPD ESU teams at the scene on Tuesday after a gunman opened fire on the subway at around 8.30am
Police officers work at the scene of a shooting at a subway station in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, New York, U.S., April 12, 2022
FDNY units at the scene on Tuesday morning after a gunman opened fire on a southbound R train that pulled into 36th Street at around 8.30am
Police and emergency responders gather at the site of a reported shooting of multiple people outside of the 36 St subway station on April 12
Police officers work at the scene of a shooting at a subway station in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, New York, U.S., April 12, 2022
Police and emergency responders gather at the site of a reported shooting of multiple people outside of the 36 St subway station on April 12, 2022
A police officer works near the scene of a shooting at a subway station in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, New York, U.S., April 12, 2022
The scene on 36th Street and Fourth Avenue on Tuesday as police, EMT and fire department teams responded to the shooting
NYPD officers at a different subway station on Tuesday looking for the suspect
Members of the New York Police Department and emergency personnel crowd the streets
NYPD units are now scouring the city’s empty subway tunnels looking for the gunman, who is feared to have jumped onto the tracks at 36th Street and fled.
Cemil Toseglu, who runs a store opposite the station, told how his terrified 17-year-old daughter was on the train on her way to school when it was attacked.
He told DailyMail.com: ‘My daughter was going to school and was on the same train when it happened. She said there was smoke and she was told to get into the other train.
‘She’s now safe and came to my office before I sent her home. She is okay but is a little surprised. I didn’t think it was that serious but she then told me people were yelling that it was a man with a gun and maybe a bomb.’
An FDNY spokesman told DailyMail.com: ‘Originally, the call came in as smoke in the subway station. Upon arrival, officers found multiple people shot and undetonated devices.
Shocking video showed blood-covered victims strewn across the ground at the subway station as smoke billowed out of the train.
One person was seen lying still on the floor with their hands over their face and their legs raised after the terrifying attack.
Others had lost shoes and had their clothes torn as the New York subway’s speaker system blared out messages to the passengers.
Commuters were screamed at to get on a different train to safety while the wounded were treated by emergency services.
Eric Adams’ spokesman said on Twitter: ‘@NYCMayor continues to be briefed on the situation. While we gather more information, we ask New Yorkers to stay away from this area for their safety and so that first responders can help those in need and investigate.’
NYPD officers and other city workers at the scene of the shooting on Tuesday morning
Law enforcement gathering at the scene of a shooting in the Brooklyn borough of New York on Tuesday, April 12, 2022. Law enforcement sources say multiple people were shot at a subway station in Brooklyn
As many as multiple people are believed to have been injured during the shooting and possible explosion
Police officers and firefighters work near the scene of a shooting at a subway station in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, New York, U.S., April 12, 2022
New York City Police officials on a roof at the scene of a reported multiple shooting at a New York City Subway station on 36th and 4th Ave in the Brooklyn borough of New York Shooting in Brooklyn subway
A large presence of NYPD Police officers and FDNY firefighters surround a subway entrance near where at least ten people are believed to have been shot after a shooting in a subway station on 4th Avenue in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn on Tuesday
NYC Council Member Sunset Park Alexa Aviles said: ‘We are aware of reports of a shooting at 36th St subway station, and we are in touch with our city partners and NYPD on the scene.’
She added: ‘Please exercise caution and seek alternate travel routes. We will share further details as they become available.’
Senator Kevin Parker said: ‘Terrifying report out of Sunset Park. We have to move New York forward and break this cycle of gun violence. Hoping everyone will be ok.’
Chi Osse, NYC Council Member for Brooklyn, said: ‘Horrifying news to hear this morning. Praying for the safety and recovery for our neighbors in Sunset Park. This madness must end.’
The Office of New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams said: ‘Our office is monitoring the information coming from Sunset Park, and praying for the New Yorkers who have been shot in this horrific act of gun violence.’
New York City Police Department personnel gather at the entrance to a subway stop in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Tuesday, April 12, 2022. Several people were shot Tuesday morning at the subway station in Brooklyn, New York, law enforcement sources said
New York City Police and Fire Department officials on the scene of a reported multiple shooting at a New York City Subway
