Attack in the subway in New York: the suspect was armed and wore a gas mask, this person is dangerous
Steph Deschamps / April 13, 2022
A gunman wearing a gas mask set off a smoke device in the New York City subway Tuesday morning before opening fire on passengers, injuring 23 people, including 10 who were shot, police said.
The attack occurred at 08:24, at the time when the subway trains of the American megalopolis are crowded, on one of the lines connecting Brooklyn and Manhattan, explained the head of the New York Police Department (NYPD), Keechant Sewell.
As the train entered the station, the individual put on a gas mask. He then opened a cylinder that was in his bag and the car (of the metro) filled with smoke. After that he started to shoot, described the chief of police who excluded at this stage an act of terrorism.
In front of the press gathered above the Brooklyn subway station, she described the suspect as a black male about 5'5 tall and heavy-set, wearing a green construction vest and a gray hoodie.
This person is dangerous, warned New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, calling for the utmost caution.
Amateur photos and videos showed pools of blood and people lying on the floor of a subway train, as well as on the platform of the 36th Street station in the Brooklyn borough.
Another video shows crowds exiting a smoke-filled subway car at the 36th Streetstation amidst screams but no jostling.
A large security detail was deployed at 36th Street and 4th Avenue in South Brooklyn, near the large Greenwood Cemetery. Ambulances, fire engines and police vehicles arrived in large numbers on the scene.
Several Brooklyn schools have canceled all outdoor trips for their students for the immediate future.
President Joe Biden, who announced new anti-gun measures Monday, was informed of the shooting and the White House offered assistance to New York authorities, said executive branch spokeswoman Jen Psaki.
This attack took place as New York City has faced an increase in crime since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Elected on promises of safety, the new Democratic mayor of New York, former police officer Eric Adams, launched a plan to fight the proliferation of firearms at the end of January, after two police officers were shot and killed during an intervention. But other tragedies involving firearms have made headlines since then.
Mayor Eric Adams, who contracted Covid-19 a few days ago, was unable to attend.
For the first quarter of 2022 -- Jan. 1through early April -- the number of shootings and gunshots in New York City increased from 260 to 296 compared with the same period in 2021, according to police figures released last week.