A 36-year-old man was shot multiple times with his own gun after a physical struggle on a New York City subway car during Thursday’s evening rush hour. Based on a video recorded by another passenger, the incident began when the armed man approached the unexpected shooter and the pair began arguing over a seat. He’s now in critical condition, according to the New York Times. This shooting comes a week after Governor Kathy Hochul deployed 1,000 members of the National Guard and State Police in an effort to curb crime on the subway.
When the altercation became physical and the 36-year-old started wailing on a 32-year-old guy, a woman got behind him and took something sharp out of her purse. She seemingly stabbed the older man, and things got worse. He pulled out a gun. The other passengers who were already huddled on the other end of the car were now desperate to escape as the train pulled into Hoyt-Schermerhorn station in Brooklyn.
The doors opened, a crowd of people rushed out and the distinctive pop of a handgun was heard multiple times. Not seen on a camera was the younger man getting hold of the gun as the pair grabbled on the train. He ended up shooting the older man multiple times, including in the head. The police officers in the station took the shooter into custody and the other man was rushed to a hospital. MTA CEO Janno Lieber said in a media briefing:
“When you bring a gun on the train and you start a fight, it is just not right and it’s absolutely outrageous. The victim here, as the chief said, appears to be the aggressor — but the real victims are the ones I saw on those videos who were going through a harrowing time because they were on the train with someone with a gun. They’re afraid for their lives.”
Governor Hochul’s deployment of additional National Guard to conduct bag searches is a move in response to high-profile incidents, not actual data. According to the NYPD, crime on the subway is three percent lower than it was in 2019. Hochul has admitted that subway riders can refuse to be searched under the Fourth Amendment but added that those who refuse can be turned away from the system.
Since 9/11, the New York National Guard has been stationed at the city’s major transit hubs, such as Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station, as part of Joint Task Force Empire Shield. The unit’s main aim is to deter terrorism. They’re not law enforcement. Sending soldiers in camouflage to even more stations isn’t magically going to stop crime. It might even make the subway feel more dangerous.