By Patrick Smith and Minyvonne Burke -
NBC News
A 36-year-old man was shot with his own gun on the New York subway on Thursday, as terrified passengers sought cover, screaming that there were babies on the train and pleading for someone to open the car doors so they could get to safety.
Oren Yaniv, a spokesman for the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office, said Friday that the incident “was shocking and deeply disturbing,” but added that “at this time, the evidence [that the shots were fired] in self-defense prevents us from filing criminal charges.” against the person who shot.”
The incident on a northbound A line train, which was caught on video, followed a series of violent crimes on the city's subways that led New York Governor Kathy Hochul to deploy a task force. 1,000 troops, including 750 members of the National Guard, to increase security in that transportation network.
A New York Subway police officer guards Grand Central Station, in New York, on March 7, 2024.Getty Images
Videos posted on social media show an unidentified man, 36, approaching a 32-year-old passenger, with whom he is having a verbal dispute.
The footage appears to show the 36-year-old man shouting and threatening to hit the 32-year-old man.
The situation worsens when the 32-year-old man stands up and
puts his hands up
, according to a video posted on the social network X.
A passenger is then heard saying: "There are babies here."
Several passengers get up and get out of the way, seen in the video.
The two men begin a physical confrontation and during the altercation, a woman is seen appearing to repeatedly stab the 36-year-old man in the back.
At a news conference Friday morning, police said it appeared the woman had a "sharp object and cut the 36-year-old man with it."
The video shows the 36-year-old man bleeding and saying: “You stabbed me.”
The 36-year-old man then reaches for his jacket and pulls out a firearm, the footage shows.
“Bend down to the floor,
baby
,” said a passenger before repeatedly shouting: “Let me out!
Let me out!
Let me out!
“Let me out.”
Other passengers shout out for the train doors to be opened.
As the travelers flee, shots are heard.
Michael Kemper, chief of traffic for the New York police, stated that officers were aware of the existence of the videos circulating on the internet.
At one point, the 36-year-old man lost control of the gun and
was shot several times by the 32-year-old man
as the train entered the Schermerhorn station, Kemper said Thursday.
Eyewitnesses recorded video showing a man on a stretcher being transferred to an ambulance outside the station.
Several police officers were already at the subway station, Kemper added, and responded to the scene within seconds.
The 32-year-old man was questioned by detectives Thursday night, he said.
“The investigation into this tragic incident is ongoing,” Yaniv declared this Friday after announcing that the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office has no plans to prosecute the shooter at this time.
Lincoln Restler, a New York councilman who represents the area, said on the social network X: “
This is a horrible and deeply disconcerting tragedy
for the millions of New Yorkers who take the subway every day.”
Janno Lieber, director and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, said at the press conference this Friday that the police deserved praise for their quick response.
“Crime on public transportation accounts for 2% of crime in New York City, but it has a huge disproportionate impact on people's sense of safety because they are in an environment where they can't get around as easily. ”he explained.
The shooting came more than a month after surveillance video captured a man allegedly throwing containers of flammable liquid at a group of people on a New York subway platform.
The police are still searching for the perpetrator of the incident.
To combat crime on public transportation, more than 1,000 police officers were assigned to the city's metro network in February, which resulted in
a decrease in crime of 15.4%
compared to the same month of the previous year. , according to police statistics released earlier this month.
According to the data, robberies decreased by 5% and thefts by 28.6%, while crimes involving injuries remained unchanged.
Meanwhile, arrests in the transit system have increased 45%.