Tuesday, April 12, 2022 – 8:13 PM
NEW YORK, April 12/WAM/ At least 16 people were shot, some with shrapnel, by an unidentified gunman wearing a reflective vest and gas mask at a northbound subway station in the New York City suburb of Brooklyn.
A state of panic and chaos spread among the passengers of the train stations where the accident occurred, as well as on the sidewalks of the neighboring regions and streets, which were immediately closed by security men and deployed with major security reinforcements.
In statements made by a civil defense spokesman, the authorities confirmed that the authorities had found unexploded explosive devices at the site of the accident, while the city police confirmed on Twitter that there were no operable explosive devices at the present time.
A security official at the scene said that police were trying to chase after a gunman described as wearing a gas mask and an orange jacket for construction workers.
At least four of the victims were initially found at the 36th Street subway station in Sunset Park and another at the 25th Street station in Greenwood Heights before 8:30 a.m. New York time.
It was not immediately clear whether the shooting took place on the train or at the stations. However, some eyewitnesses reported witnessing the use of a possible smoke device during the shooting.
The incident occurred at a time when New York City Police were searching for about four packages that were initially considered suspicious, but were later determined to be unfounded. The victims were taken to hospitals and various medical centers in the city.
Immediately after the accident, the city authorities closed schools in the area and stopped work at the metro station in the area, and they are still intensifying their security and precautionary measures in the area and throughout the city, including investigations and the search for anyone involved in these actions.
While an official in the US Federal Bureau of Investigation stated that his administration is working to assist the New York Police and local authorities in the city to face the repercussions of the incident, noting that it is still unclear at this stage whether there is any connection to this act of terrorism, and confirmed that the headquarters of the Bureau of Investigation The Fed is closely monitoring the situation.
For its part, the Security and Safety Department at the United Nations Headquarters in New York issued an urgent alert to all its employees, informing them of the presence of continuous police activity near 36 and 25 Streets in 4 and 5 avenues in Brooklyn, and the suspension of a number of metro stations in the city, following the announcement of multiple injuries from This incident, and advised all its employees and permanent delegates of countries to avoid these areas and take precaution, and stressed that the authorities of the host country are currently at the site.
WAM/NEW/Emad Al-Ali