The Tuesday morning rush filled commuters of the New York City Subway with terror as a gas-masked man opened fired and injured at least 29 people.
Faithwire reported that the incident took place at 8:30 a.m. on the N train from Brooklyn to Manhattan at the 25th and 36th Street subway stations. ABC7 New York elaborated that a lone gunman--a black male weighing 175 pounds to 200 pounds with a height of 5'5"--wearing a reflective vest threw smoke bombs into the subway car in Brooklyn before shooting at the passengers.
"At least four of the victims were found at the 36th Street subway station in Sunset Park and another at the 25th Street station in Greenwood Heights just before 8:30 a.m. It appears at this time to have happened...beginning at the 25th Street station," ABC7 said.
CNN highlighted that those injured were brought to nearby hospitals for treatment. Five of those injured were reported by Fox News to be in critical condition. Specifically, a total of 20 patients are being treated at NYU Langone. The said patients, who were treated for gunshot wounds and smoke inhalation, are in stable condition. The hospital did not disclose how many of those treated suffered a gunshot.
The New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, on the other hand, disclosed that they are treating three patients from the attack. The hospital detailed that one suffered a gunshot injury, another had a fracture, and another was non-trauma-related.
Two subway passengers injured from either a gunshot or shrapnel are being treated at the Maimonides Health in Brooklyn. This excludes the three patients the hospital is treating for smoke inhalation, totaling five patients in all.
According to witnesses, the man was wearing a construction attire identical to the uniform of Metropolitan Transportation Authority employees. The attire involved a gray hooded sweatshirt topped with a green construction-type vest.
Retired New York City Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce assessed that the suspect dropped the smoke cans before he shot around. Boyce said the suspect probably exited the area immediately afterward because of the smoke, even though he was wearing a mask.
In an advisory on the incident, the New York Police clarified that there were no active explosive devices in the subway after the incident. However, they have urged the public to stay clear of the 36th Street subway station in Brooklyn while investigation is ongoing. New York City officials led by Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell and Governor Kathy Hochul said in a press conference on Tuesday that the matter is not being investigated as an act of terrorism.
"This is not being investigated as an act of terrorism at this time," Sewell announced.
Terrified passengers recounted that Tuesday morning seemed like an ordinary busy morning, except there was a very loud noise heard in the subway and people suddenly fleeing.
"All you heard was a big, loud noise that sounded like a big bang, an explosion, and then there were people running out of the train station. So it was just very hectic this morning," a woman told ABC 7.
Another passenger, Yav Montano, revealed to CNN that he initially thought the loud sound were fireworks before he eventually realized they were bullets.
"I honestly have no words for what I've experienced. I was in the front end of the third car and everything happened at the back end of the same car...As soon as the smoke, like, flared up, it started to engulf everything. People started migrating to the front of the car," Montano said.
Montano then saw blood on the floor and people trying to get to the door while trampling on each other. The people fled the train car as soon as the doors opened after it moved.
Law enforcement officers have confirmed with Fox News that a Glock, a handgun with an extended magazine, was used by the suspect and discovered inside the train. Authorities have also identified by the evening of Tuesday a person of interest in line with the incident. Sewell showed a photo of 62-year-old Frank R. James, who reportedly had addresses in Wisconsin and Philadelphia. James is still at large and a $50,000 reward has been put up for his apprehension.
