Several people were shot and wounded on Tuesday morning in a possible explosion inside a subway station in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
Authorities initially responded to a smoke condition at about 8.30am at the 36th Street station, which serves the D, N and R lines. Once inside, first responders encountered multiple people shot and numerous undetonated devices, according to a New York City Fire Department spokesperson.
Police were seeking a Black man with an orange vest. The New York Times and Associated Press reported the suspect was also wearing a gas mask.
At least 13 people have been injured during a shooting incident at a subway station in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, authorities said.
"At 8.27am, police responded to a 911 call of a person shot in the subway" in Brooklyn, a New York police spokeswoman told AFP.
The city's fire department gave the injuries toll, with ABC News quoting police sources as saying at least five people had been shot.
Service has been halted on the D, N and R trains in Brooklyn and some stations in Manhattan, and commuters were told to expect major delays on those lines as well as the B, F and Q. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) urged riders to take alternate subway or bus lines.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she has been briefed on the incident. The White House had no immediate comment.
The incident comes as the MTA struggles to restore subway ridership to pre-pandemic levels while crime and people seeking shelter in the system have increased. About 3.3 million people ride the subway during the weekday, down from an average 5.5 million in 2019, according to the MTA’s latest ridership data.
The 36th Street station was serving about 13,342 weekday riders in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2020, it served about 6,000.
The New York City Police Department confirm an ongoing investigation.
