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A MASSIVE MANHUNT was underway Tuesday in New York for a man who shot 10 people on a packed subway train, donning a gas mask before setting off two smoke bombs and opening fire on terrified commuters.
Police said the incident in Brooklyn was not being investigated as an act of terrorism, with no indication of a motive at this stage. None of the injuries were considered life-threatening.
New York Police Department commissioner Keechant Sewell told a press conference the suspected gunman put on a gas mask just as the train was arriving at the station.
The gunman “opened two canisters that dispensed smoke throughout the subway car,” Sewell said. “He then shot multiple passengers as the train pulled into the 36th Street station.”
In addition to the 10 gunshot victims, 13 others were injured as they tried to get out of the station or suffered smoke inhalation, according to officials.
“We are truly fortunate this was not significantly worse than it is,” Sewell said.
NYPD chief James Essig said the gunman had fired 33 shots. Police later recovered a Glock 17 nine-millimeter handgun, three additional ammunition magazines and a hatchet from the scene.
Sewell said they had identified a “person of interest” Frank James and released an image of him.
They did not have anyone in custody, she said.
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
Police were alerted to the shooting just before 8.30am (1.30pm Irish time).
Verified video footage posted on social media showed the train pulling into the 36th Street station, and smoke billowing out the doors as passengers rushed off, some apparently injured.
One of them, Yav Montano, recounted on CNN being inside the car when it began filling with smoke – and shots rang out.
“In the moment, I did not think that it was a shooting because it sounded like fireworks,” he said. “It just sounded like a bunch of scattered popping.”
There were 40 to 50 passengers inside at the time and they began crowding towards the front, Montano said — but the door to the next car was locked.
“There were people in that other car that saw what was happening. And they tried to open the door, but they couldn’t,” he said.
‘A lot of blood’
CNN aired a brief video shot by Montano inside the car showing passengers crowded together, some wearing masks and others pressing clothing against their mouths to protect against the smoke.
“There were some people whose clothes, whose pants were covered in blood,” Montano said, adding that he could not tell who was injured. “All I know is I saw, like, a lot of blood.”
Once the train finally reached the platform, the doors opened.
“People filed out, people forgot bags and shoes, and they just left everything to just get out of there as soon as possible,” Montano said.
Further footage showed passengers tending to bloodied victims lying on a smoky station platform, and subway staff shepherding panicked commuters, some still clutching their morning coffee cups.
Eyewitness Sam Carmano, speaking to local radio station 1010 WINS, was on a subway train pulling in on the opposite side of the platform when the mayhem erupted.
“My subway door opened into just like calamity and then it was people, just running to get away from whatever was happening, and then it was smoke and blood and people screaming,” he said.
Call for witnesses
US President Joe Biden, addressing the incident during a trip to Iowa, paid tribute to the first responders and civilians who “didn’t hesitate to help their fellow passengers,” and said his team was in close contact with New York officials.
“We’re not letting up until we find the perpetrator,” Biden vowed.
The NYPD has urged witnesses to contact a tip line with any information, and New York governor Kathy Hochul promised regular updates as the investigation unfolds.
The incident came just a day after Biden announced new gun control measures, increasing restrictions on so-called “ghost guns,” the difficult-to-trace weapons that can be assembled at home.
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Pass that diving bell on sir john rogersons quay every day on the way too work and always wondered what it was! Explains the name of the street adjacent to it too. Good work Journal.ie. interesting little article.
you’d think the Dublin Council would stick a little sign post beside it with some info, I always wondered too. It’s quite interesting.
The diving bell was made in Grendons foundry in Drogheda where Scotch Hall shopping centre is now, right beside the Viaduct bridge mentioned in the caption. They were going to scrap it until protests from a group of conservationists forced Dublin County Council to restore it and display it where it is now.
I’ll tell you what’s a Dublin curiosity: The place is a complete dump.
The British gave the Irish their modern cities and as soon as they left, the Irish made a complete balls of the place. Out will the old Georgians and in with the concrete tat.
If you want to see a massive planning disaster on a monumental scale, go to Dublin.
The ugliest citiy in Europe just keeps getting uglier.
Think you are getting confused with Belfast, now that is a complete dump.
Dublin didn’t suffer years of bombings and terrorism, Mark.
Having said that, urban planning in Belfast is 100 times better than Dublin.
It takes people with appreciation and aesthetics for architecture to keep a city in shape – something people in Dublin lack in general.
Your right Dublin did not suffer years of terrorism like Belfast, it was just blown apart by the British army. Dublin is the biggest most beautiful Georgian city in the world. Sure it has got a few ugly buildings, what big city doesn’t. Im from London we have alot of ugly buildings. But i totally disagree with your comments. I visit Dublin many times and it has alot of beautiful architecture.
You must be blind then, Mark. The complete historical fabric of Dublin has been destroyed by corrupt councilors and developers over the past 50 years.
And you can’t expect the British army to just stand around while a bunch of yobs run riot.
When i said it was just blown apart by the British army, i was talking about Dublin, just before the Irish kicked them out. There has been some bad planning decisions in Dublin over the last 50 years i agree. But the city has some beautiful areas. The reason why the city gets millions of tourists every year. If you want to see very bad planning come to many english towns and cities we have alot of ugly ones unfortunately.
Belfast is nowhere near as nice as Dublin.
You’ve overlooked Glasgow in your assessment of Europe’s ugliest cities but then again it’s not really the point,you’re merely here to stick it to the Taigs.
Much of Georgian Dublin is still standing,i doubt you’ve ever set foot south of the border,let alone in Dublin.
When one has hatred for a place or people they tend to hate everything about the country and wish it was not there. It is a sad way to live a life. Dublin is a beautiful city just like London, both have there downsides what big city doesn’t. But as far as big cities go in the UK and Ireland they are the best we have. Even if a few disagree.
Nice article, love finding out about quirky things in cities. Also, sound for including an explanation on what a crows foot mark is…there is one on the stone gate into my house and although I guessed that it was something to do with measurements, I never really knew what it was for.
Work in that diving bell was horrific. The men suffered greatly health wise from the pressure . In fact it shortened there life considerably. Another fantastic sight to see was the Dublin dry docks in Dublin port the older of which was recently filled in to make space for containers. I had the pleasure to work in these docks and it is such a shame to see it filled in.
Now theres some really interesting things about Ireland that give an insight into history and link modern day
Those crow’s foot benchmarks are to be found all over Ireland. They were put on things like stone bridges or at the base of granite entrance piers. You could locate them from the OS Maps. A good number of them can still be found around the country.
Fantastic article.
Really enjoyed this thank you a nice way to start Sunday
Re Pic 7 – pity the lump of meteorite that fell in Tipperary in 1865 wasn’t a whole lot bigger.
Great article. St. Andrews Resource Centre has published a booklet explaining the full history of the diving bell: “Dublin’s Diving Bell – A History”. I’m not sure if it’s still available.
The Diving Bell on Sir John Rogersons Quay was actually saved by St. Andrews Resource Centre Pearse Street in Partnership with Dublin Port and others. The City Council were not involved and the space on the Quay was given by the DDDA. The whole project was written about in a book published by the St. Andrews Heritage Project in 2003. The book is available free from St. Andrews in Pearse Street and it gives the History of the Diving Bell and details of the the project to restore it. For more information on this fascinating piece of Irish and Dublin’s history contact:
Betty Ashe 01 6771930.
1st pic isn’t 51 Stephens green, that’s on Stephens green south, think it’d the dept of foreign affairs building.
Hi Barro – you’re absolutely right so I went and snapped a pic of number 51 on my way into work today to give people an idea of which building it is, should they happen to be passing by. It’s the last pic in the slideshow there now.
Cheers, Susan
This is a good answer to the lack of Dublin “discoverability” in the “Why does Dublin have no fountains” blog post at http://blog.likeplace.ie
You think? Fountains do not make cities. We have fountains in trafalgar square, they are off most of the year. What traveller wants to see the same in every city they visit. How boring. I like the way Dublin has the beautiful old georgian street lights. Then you travel to smithfield and you have something completely different, funky and arty, something you would see in new york. Thats what is great about Dublin and its districts. Many european cities especially along the med are very similar. I like difference, unique. Not boring and mirror image of somewhere else.
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