A 36-year-old man was in critical condition Thursday evening after he was shot in the head on a crowded subway train as it arrived at a Brooklyn, N.Y. station following a heated argument, police said at a news conference.
The shooting happened after a 32-year-old man got on a train at the Nostrand Avenue station at around 4:45 p.m., according to Michael Kemper, chief of transit for the New York City Police Department.
Upon boarding, he was confronted by a 36-year-old man, who, according to Kemper, “was described by multiple witnesses as being aggressive and provocative towards the 32-year-old that just got on.”
Kemper stated that the two men had a verbal dispute which quickly turned physical. The older man revealed “either a knife or a razor blade toward” the younger man who had just boarded and then put the object down.
The verbal exchange continued before the 36-year-old man “pulled a firearm from his jacket” and began approaching the younger man “in a threatening manner,” Kemper said, and the confrontation became physical again.
At that point, authorities believe the younger man “took” the gun from the 36-year-old and shot him multiple times as the train was arriving at the Hoyt-Schermerhorn station.
Kemper mentioned that he did not believe the two men were acquainted. He also mentioned that there were between one and two dozen passengers on the train at the time, and several recorded videos of the incident.
Kemper stated that there were police officers at the station who heard the gunshots and were able to respond quickly. The 36-year-old was taken to a hospital and was in critical condition and undergoing surgery at the time of the news conference on Thursday.
Kemper stated that it was still uncertain whether charges will be filed against the 32-year-old or whether his alleged actions would be considered self-defense. At the time of the news conference, police were interviewing the alleged shooter, who was captured at the scene.
