United States: 23 injured, the shooter on the run ... what we know about the shooting in the New York subway

A scene of chaos in the New York subway.

Police on Tuesday set off in pursuit of a man wearing a gas mask who wreaked havoc during the morning rush hour.

The suspect set off two smoke devices before opening fire, injuring 23, including ten by bullet.

"We will not let go until we find the perpetrator," warned US President Joe Biden.

We take stock of the events.

What happened ?

The drama took place in the Brooklyn neighborhood shortly before 8:30 a.m.

At a time when the metro lines of the megalopolis are crowded, a man wearing a gas mask “opened two canisters which let smoke escape into the train.

The individual then shot several passengers when the train entered the 36th Street station, "south of Brooklyn, described the chief of the police of New York, Keechant Sewell.

Since then, photos and amateur videos have shown pools of blood and people lying on the floor of a train, or on the platform of the station.

The suspect, still at large 12 hours after the shooting, fired a total of 33 bullets in the subway.

The motivations of his act are not yet known, specifies CNN.

An important security device - firefighters, ambulances, police - was deployed throughout the day.

Several schools have canceled all outings of their students.

What assessment?

The latest report from the authorities reports 23 injured.

Among the victims, none of whom were in mortal danger according to the police, ten were shot and thirteen others in the scramble to get out of the metro or because of smoke inhalation.

The attack wreaked havoc in New York City.

Witnesses said they heard so many gunshots they couldn't count them, notes the Guardian.

Others described a shootout resembling fireworks, confusing passengers.

"It looked like a series of scattered firecrackers," says Yav Montano, who was inside the car at the time of the attack.

“It looked like it was planned (…).

We were stuck in the train (…) There was a lot of blood on the ground, ”added this man.

VIDEO.

“I panicked when I realized it was a shooter”: Sam was on the subway during the attack in New York

Who is the suspect?

The suspect was described by police as "a black man" about 1.65m tall, "heavy build", wearing a "green and orange construction vest" and a gray hooded sweatshirt.

At the scene, the investigators found a handgun and three magazines, as well as a vehicle key which allowed them to go back to a van from the American rental company U-Haul, recently rented and abandoned in Brooklyn.

The police gave the description and distributed photos of the individual who rented the van, without saying if it was the suspect.

According to several media, this man, Frank James, 62, has published various videos on YouTube where he delivers long political tirades, sometimes virulent, and criticizes the mayor of New York Eric Adams.

This is Frank James who is a person of interest in this investigation.

Any information can be directed to @NYPDTips at 800-577-TIPS.

pic.twitter.com/yBpenmsX67

— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) April 12, 2022

“There have been posts that might be related to the person we are interested in, where he mentions homelessness, where he mentions New York, where he mentions Mayor Adams,” the New York police chief confirmed. .

Several New York City organizations will offer a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspect involved in the shooting, the New York Times said.

In detail, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), responsible for managing public transport and the Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local, a union of transport workers, each provide $12,500.

Finally, the New York City Police Foundation intends in turn to offer $25,000 for any assistance in finding the trace of the individual.

What context?

“We will not let go until we find the perpetrator of the crime,” assured President Joe Biden, a few hours after the shooting.

On Monday, the head of state announced measures against certain firearms that proliferate in the country, and which killed 45,000 people in the United States in 2021, suicides included, according to the organization Gun Violence Archive.

For his part, the Democratic mayor and former police officer Éric Adams, elected on security promises, launched a plan in January to combat the proliferation of firearms.

Tuesday's attack came as New York has faced a spike in crime since the Covid-19 pandemic, with the number of homicides rising from 319 in 2019 to 488 in 2021. The annual tally remains strong, however. below the more than 2,000 per year recorded in the early 1990s.