(BrightPress.org) – One week after New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul employed the assistance of National Guard Troops and additional police officers to curb violence in the transit system, a 36-year-old man was shot multiple times. The victim was involved in an altercation with a 32-year-old man on the northbound A train. Cell phone video obtained from another passenger showed the men in a verbal altercation, with the victim yelling obscenities and derogatory racial comments in the face of the 32-year-old. The video ended just after the 36-year-old victim pulled out a handgun.
According to police, the two men argued and fought. During the scuffle, a female passenger, possibly a friend of the 32-year-old man, stabbed the 36-year-old who then produced the gun. The 32-year-old wrestled the gun away from the 36-year-old and shot him just as the train was approaching the Hoyt-Schermerhorn station. Multiple police officers inside the station reacted quickly to the sound of shots being fired and immediately boarded the train. Police are still searching for the female passenger.
Witnesses described being huddled together and crying throughout the incident and recounted the chaos of everyone “running and falling” as they attempted to leave once the train reached the station.
According to law enforcement sources, the 36-year-old had 10 prior arrests and did not pay his fare when entering the subway at Nostrand Avenue. He was also in possession of a knife in addition to the gun, a .380 caliber Ruger.
MTA Chairman Janno Lieber told reporters the “real victims” were the people he saw in the videos of the incident that were not involved and were just “trying to go about with their lives”. Lieber believes more gun control is the solution.
NYPD Transit Chief Michael Kemper said the 36-year-old victim was shot four times and is in critical but stable condition.
No charges are being filed against the 32-year-old as evidence suggests the shooting was in self-defense.
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