After shots and at least 23 injuries in the New York subway, the police are still looking for the perpetrator in a large-scale operation. Authorities said they are looking for a 62-year-old man who is a “person of interest” in the incident. The man rented a pickup truck in Philadelphia. The key to the vehicle was found in a bag at the scene of the crime, which could possibly be assigned to the perpetrator.
According to police, at 8:24 a.m. Tuesday, a man in a subway car at a stop in the Brooklyn borough donned a gas mask and opened a canister, which released smoke. He then fired a gun into the crowd. According to the fire department, five people are in critical condition, but no one is in mortal danger. The pickup truck was found parked in another part of Brooklyn after the incident.
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It is still completely unclear whether the 62-year-old man who is now wanted, who has residences in Philadelphia and Wisconsin, could also be the perpetrator. It is also suspected that the man is the author of several publications on social media. In it, the author complains about New York, Mayor Eric Adams and homelessness, among other things. Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said in a first statement at noon New York local time that it was an Afro-American of strong stature who was wearing a green signal vest and a gray sweatshirt at the time of the crime.
Number of shootings in New York increased
Sewell was recently promoted to the post by Mayor Eric Adams with the specific task of reducing the number of shootings in New York. Sewell said: “The police will use all resources to keep the city safe, but the development of years cannot be stopped in a few days.”
She was referring to the fact that the number of shootings has increased in the past two years. According to official police statistics, there have been 296 shootings in New York City since the beginning of the year. In the same period last year, there were 260.
The incident happened during rush hour at a subway station on 36th Street in Brooklyn, where three subway lines intersect. Eyewitnesses report that people ran across the platforms in panic. The police were on duty with dozens of vehicles and cordoned off the area over a large area. The injured were taken to nearby hospitals. Helicopters circled the area.
The motive of the perpetrator was initially unclear. “There is no terrorism investigation at this time,” Police Commissioner Sewell said. The man was searched for throughout the city on Tuesday.
President Joe Biden was briefed on the incident, police said. Biden has promised help should it be needed. Mayor Eric Adams let it be known that he was in constant contact with all important authorities – albeit from his office. Adams tested positive for the coronavirus on Sunday and is in home quarantine.
New Mayor Adams wants to make the city safer
Former police officer Adams took office in January. His election campaign was primarily aimed at presenting him as the mayor who makes the city safer. After his election, he created seven new anti-firearms units. In addition, he has ordered that even minor offenses be dealt with more severely. In March of this year alone, police arrested more than 4,000 people for minor offenses, according to Commissioner Sewell. The idea behind this is that stricter action in the case of minor violations of the law will lead to a reduction in the number of serious crimes as well. Former Republican Mayor Rudy Giuliani was successful with this strategy in the late 1990s.
Just under two weeks ago, a 12-year-old boy in Brooklyn was hit by a ricochet while he was in a car with relatives. He succumbed to his injuries. A little later, a 61-year-old woman was killed by a bullet in the Bronx. She too had been hit by a ricochet.
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