A suspect in the shooting of at least 10 people on a New York City subway train Tuesday morning is still at large, police said at a press conference in Brooklyn.
Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell told reporters that the suspect, wearing a gas mask, was in a subway car when the shooting started as the train pulled into the 36th Street station in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn around 8:23 a.m. The suspect dispersed some sort of smoke canister from his bag, and opened fire. Police say multiple people in the car and on the subway platform were struck by gunfire.
Police said they don’t yet know the motive for the crime but said it’s not being investigated as an act of terrorism this early on. However, Sewell said, that may change if evidence presents itself.
“I’m not ruling out anything,” Sewell said at the Tuesday afternoon press conference when asked about the possibility of the shooting being an act of terrorism. “We’re determining what that motive is and we’ll find that out as the investigation continues.”
Police say their suspect is a Black male, with a heavy build, standing at around 5 feet 5 inches. He was last seen wearing a green construction vest, as well as a hooded gray sweatshirt. Police sources also told multiple news outlets that they were searching for a U-Haul van with Arizona license plates featuring the numbers AL31408. Police confirmed later in the evening that they found the vehicle in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Gravesend. Police indicated that a bomb squad would be securing the vehicle first, according to Associated Press reporter Mike Balsamo.
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U-Haul Vice President of Communications told VICE News it is working closely with NYPD to assist however they can in the ongoing investigation.
At least one eyewitness says that the suspect was seen mumbling to himself on the train moments before he put on a gas mask and started the attack, according to ABC News. Police also told the outlet that they have an image of a possible suspect from one bystander’s cellphone video, a major development in the investigation that so far seems to have few leads.
Three law enforcement officials also told CNN that a gun was recovered from the 36th Street subway station earlier Tuesday afternoon, along with multiple high-capacity magazines, fireworks, and gunpowder The law enforcement sources told the outlet that it’s believed the weapon was jammed during the shooting.
Mayor Eric Adams would not confirm whether any of these details are accurate just yet, telling WNYC’s Brian Lehrer that the NYPD is expected to hold another press conference “in the next few hours.”
Police were unable to confirm these details with VICE News as of this writing.
At least 29 people have been reported injured, with 10 people suffering from gunshot wounds and five in critical but stable condition. None of the victims sustained life-threatening injuries.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the increasing number of victims.
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