Man shoots ‘aggressive’ New York subway passenger in the head after taking gun from him during a fight – as terrified commuters take cover and run from train
Commuters in New York City took cover after an “aggressive” passenger was shot in the head on a subway during rush hour on Thursday.
The shooting occurred on a northbound A train in Brooklyn shortly after 4:45 p.m., when a verbal dispute between two strangers escalated into a fight.
A 32-year-old man boarded the train at the Nostrand Avenue stop and was approached by a 36-year-old man who, according to witnesses, appeared “aggressive and provocative.”
As the train started moving, the 36-year-old flashed a sharp object believed to be a knife or razor blade, Transit Police Chief Michael Kemper said at a news conference.
At one point, he pulled a gun from his jacket and walked toward the 32-year-old as the verbal dispute escalated into a physical fight.
The shooting on the nation’s busiest public transit system came less than a week after New York Governor Kathy Hochul deployed 750 National Guard members in an effort to stop rampant subway violence.
New York City commuters ran for cover after an “aggressive” passenger was shot in the head on a subway during rush hour on Thursday
The shooting occurred on a northbound A train in Brooklyn shortly after 4:45 p.m., when a verbal dispute between two strangers escalated into a fight.
A video from ABC reporter Joyce Philippe captures the chaos after gunfire rang out, as terrified passengers took cover and shouted for help
Social media users shared a clip of the fight that led to the shooting, showing the 36-year-old, who is wearing a black hoodie, punching the other man several times.
The 36-year-old also punched a woman, who appeared to have stabbed him in the back several times as he repeatedly shouted: “Did you stab me?”
Blood visibly seeped through the man’s black hooded shirt as the two men struggled, with the 36-year-old man eventually sitting on top of the 32-year-old.
At some point, the hooded man took off his jacket, revealing the gun and proceeded to load it.
Passengers can be heard desperately shouting, “Get me out, get me out,” before the car doors were opened.
The 36-year-old also punched a woman (pictured right) in jeans, who appeared to stab him several times in the back as he repeatedly shouted: “Did you stab me?”
At some point, the hooded man took off his jacket, revealing the gun and proceeded to load it
Blood visibly seeped through the man’s black hooded shirt as the two men struggled, with the 36-year-old man eventually sitting on top of the 32-year-old.
The video does not capture the moment the 32-year-old took the gun from the aggressive attacker, but several shots can be heard in the background.
A video from ABC reporter Joyce Philippe captures the chaos after gunfire rang out, as terrified passengers took cover and shouted for help. ‘
“Where is the NYPD, oh my God!” one woman exclaimed as others said, “close the door, close the door!”
The train pulled into the Hoyt-Schermerhorn Streets station, where law enforcement authorities who heard the gunshots swarmed the scene.
The 32-year-old gunman was arrested before entering the platform and remained in custody.
The 36-year-old man was rushed to NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, where he underwent surgery and remained in critical condition.
A video from ABC reporter Joyce Philippe captures the chaos after gunfire rang out, as terrified passengers took cover and shouted for help.
Footage posted by social media user Owen Anderson shows emergency workers rushing the person on a wheeled stretcher to an ambulance
Footage posted by social media user Owen Anderson shows emergency workers rushing the person on a wheeled stretcher to an ambulance.
“If you bring a gun on a train and start a fight, that is not right and absolutely outrageous,” Chief Kemper said.
He added that authorities have not yet determined whether the alleged shooter’s actions would be considered self-defense. No charges were filed against him Thursday evening.
Janno Lieber, chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), said, “The victim here appears to be, as the chief said, the aggressor.”
He added: ‘But the real victims are the people I saw in those videos, having a harrowing time because they’re on the train with someone with a gun.’
Lincoln Restler, the city council member who represents the area, wrote on
The shooting follows a series of criminal activities on the trains, including one cellist who was hit on the head by a stranger while handling a water bottle while performing, and in a shooting that left one person dead and five others injured.”
New York Governor Kathy Hochul told subway passengers who refuse to submit to bag checks to “go home”
The National Guard joins another 1,000 officers stationed in Adams metros following a 45 percent increase in major crimes in January compared to the same period last year.
New York’s Democratic Mayor Eric Adams said earlier this month he is bringing back bag checks for subway passengers and stationing 750 National Guard members at the city’s busiest stations.
The Big Apple saw a 45 percent increase in major crimes in January compared to the same period last year.
Knives, box cutters, batons and guns are reportedly among the weapons the NYPD is looking for.
Crime in the subway has been on the rise lately, with 2023 seeing the most attacks on the subway since 1996. There have been three murders on the rails at the start of the year, compared to none at this point last year .
In May last year, a 24-year-old former Marine was seen putting an erratic subway passenger in a headlock until he died.
30-year-old Jordan Neely entered the subway and began threatening passengers.
He was pushed to the ground and became unconscious. When an ambulance team boarded the train, which remained on the platform, they were unable to revive him.
Police have chosen not to identify the 24-year-old man, who was released without charge after the incident.