New York City – Manhattan Midtown subway station was the scene of a shooting incident on Saturday afternoon (October 17), with a man shot in the chest and pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital. Police reported that prior to the shooting, the victim had a dispute with another man on the platform, and they are currently tracing the shooter involved in the case.
According to multiple media reports citing police sources, the shooting occurred around 12:20 pm at the subway station located at the intersection of 7th Avenue and West 53rd Street in Manhattan, near Times Square and the Broadway theater district.
The altercation between the two men escalated on the platform, extending to a train pulling into the station, before returning to the platform. One of the men was shot on the northbound train platform, sustaining a gunshot wound to the chest. Medical personnel rushed him to Bellevue Hospital, but he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
It has not been confirmed whether the shooting took place on the train or the platform. Police are still investigating whether the parties involved knew each other and the cause of the conflict. The suspect fled north on foot along 7th Avenue after the shooting.
As of Saturday afternoon, no arrests have been made by the police. The name and age of the victim have also not been officially disclosed.
Following the shooting incident, subway services were briefly affected. During the police investigation, the northbound E line trains were rerouted to the F line segment, and some D line trains skipped the 7th Avenue station. Passengers are advised to check the latest service updates from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) before traveling.
According to statistics as of Sunday, the number of homicide cases in the New York City public transportation system has increased by 75% compared to the same period last year, with only four cases reported during the same period last year.
In the evening, the police released photos from surveillance cameras of the suspect. The images show a man wearing a red tracksuit, a black vest, a black mask, and carrying a backpack.
Anyone with information is urged to call the Crime Stoppers hotline at 800-577-8477.