Live updates: Brooklyn subway shooting suspect at large after 10 people were shot | CNN

Suspect at large after 10 shot at Brooklyn subway station

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 12: Police and emergency responders gather at the site of a reported shooting of multiple people outside of the 36 St subway station on April 12, 2022 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. According to authorities, multiple people have reportedly been shot and several undetonated devices were discovered at the 36th Street and Fourth Avenue station in the Sunset Park neighborhood.  (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
'Sounded like fireworks': Witness describes when subway shooting started
02:33 - Source: CNN

What we know so far

  • The shooting: Ten people were shot at a Brooklyn subway station this morning, officials said. At least 29 people were treated at nearby hospitals for injuries, none of which were life-threatening, according to hospital representatives.
  • The suspect: Authorities said the suspect, who remains at large, put on a gas mask, deployed a gas canister and then began shooting. The shooter’s motive is still unknown, officials say.
  • The investigation: The NYPD says they are currently seeking a person of interest in the shooting who they believe rented the U-Haul van whose keys were found at the scene. Police are investigating whether he has any connection to the shooting and have not named him as a suspect.

Our live coverage has ended. Read more about the shooting in the posts below.

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NYC mayor says quiet Tuesday morning turned into a "war zone" on the N train

Adams addressed the news conference via video.

The quiet commute Tuesday morning on the N train turned into a “war zone” in Brooklyn, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Tuesday evening.

He praised the MTA, passengers and first responders to acting quickly and cooperatively to save lives.

“Thanks to the quick thinking of the MTA crew and the bravery and cooperation of passengers, lives were saved,” he added. 

Adams again blamed the scourge of gun violence in New York City and across the country, saying he would “continue to dam the rivers that feed the sea of violence.”

“It’s going to take the entire nation to speak out and push back against the cult of death that has taken hold in this nation,” Adams said. “A cult that allows innocence to be sacrificed on a daily basis.”

Authorities offering $50,000 reward for information leading to arrest of suspect in Brooklyn shooting

New York City agencies are offering a joint $50,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest of the suspect involved in Tuesday’s shooting at a subway station in Sunset Park in Brooklyn, according to a statement from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).

The MTA and Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 100 both offered $12,500 each in reward money and the New York City Police Foundation offered $25,000 in reward money to bring the total reward offering to $50,000.

“Riders need to feel safe. My members need to feel safe. We don’t just dip in and out of the system. We spend entire shifts down there every day and night. This guy has to be apprehended,” TWU Local 100 President Tony Utano said.

U-Haul van tied to subway shooting was rented in Philadelphia yesterday, company records show 

New York police said Tuesday that the U-Haul van they are investigating was rented by Frank James, who they named as a person of interest in the investigation. 

The van was rented on April 11 from a U-Haul store in Philadelphia, according to company records obtained by CNN.

The records show Frank James rented the van using a Wisconsin license with a Milwaukee address. 

The rental agreement obtained by CNN shows that the U-Haul reservation was made on April 6, and was scheduled to be picked up on April 11 at 2:01 p.m. ET. The van was supposed to be rented for two days, according to the reservation. 

NYPD seeking person of interest in Brooklyn subway shooting

The NYPD is looking for Frank James, the man who rented a U-Haul truck found near the scene of a shooting in Brooklyn. It is unclear his connection to the event. 

The New York Police Department said they are seeking a person of interest in connection to the Brooklyn subway shooting who they believe rented the U-Haul van whose keys were found at the scene.

Police are investigating whether he has any connection to the shooting and have not named him as a suspect.

Officials say they are looking for 62-year-old Frank James who has addresses in both Wisconsin and Philadelphia. Officials believe James rented the U-Haul truck in Philadelphia that was found in Brooklyn.

The key of the U-Haul van was found at the crime scene in the subway, the official said, which led to the recovery of the van in Brooklyn.

“Mr. James is just a person of interest we know right now who rented that U-Haul van in Philadelphia,” Essig said. “The keys to that U-Haul van was found in the subway in our shooter’s possessions. We don’t know right now if Mr. James has any connection to the subway. That’s still under investigation.”

Essig said they do not have anyone in custody at the moment related to the shooting.

“We are asking anyone’s help with information. Cell phone video, witness information or if they can identify the perpetrator or the renter of this vehicle,” Essig said.

The official said there is a $50,000 reward right now.

NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said there are possibly some social media postings connected to James in which he mentions homelessness, New York and Mayor Eric Adams. Out of an abundance of caution, Adams’ security detail will be heightened, Sewell said.

The NYPD is asking the public to send any information about the person of interest by calling 1-800-577-TIPS.

CNN’s Rob Frehse and Laura Ly contributed reporting to this post.

Brooklyn subway shooting victim helped passenger who was shot in the leg: "I literally dodged many bullets"

Claire Tunkel, 46, told CNN she took off her jacket and tied it around the leg of a man who suffered a gunshot wound from Tuesday’s subway shooting in Brooklyn.

Tunkel, who went to the hospital for smoke inhalation, said several gunshot victims were laying on the floor of the subway platform after the train arrived at the station. 

Tunkel was in the subway car where the shooting took place and described the scene as chaotic. While she couldn’t see anything because of the smoke, she said she heard people crying out for help and others who said they were bleeding. 

“You couldn’t see anything, but you could feel it,” she said. People were rushing to the front of the car, and some fell to the ground, she noted. “You could feel the bodies.”  

Tunkel said she’s physically fine, but still pretty shook. 

“I literally dodged many bullets today. That’s huge, that’s a big thing to digest,” she said.

Brooklyn subway shooter fired gun 33 times, striking at least 10 people, official says

The suspect in the Brooklyn shooting opened smoke grenades on the train and fired his gun 33 times, striking at least 10 people Tuesday morning, NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig announced.

Later at the scene, investigators found a Glock handgun, three extended magazines, two detonated smoke grenades, two non-detonated smoke grenades and a hatchet, Essig added.

Essig said they also found a U-Haul key at the scene which led them to the recovery of the van in Brooklyn, Essig said.

None of the injuries to the victims appear to be life-threatening, NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said.

“We know this incident is of grave concern to New Yorkers,” Sewell said. “We cannot lose sight of victims in this city. We will use every resource we can to bring those to justice who continue to prey on the citizens of New York.”

NOW: Officials provide update on Brooklyn subway shooting investigation 

New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and other officials are providing an update on the Brooklyn subway shooting investigation.

Ahead of the briefing, two law enforcement sources told CNN that investigators identified the shooting suspect after finding a credit card at the scene that was used to rent a U-Haul cargo van.

The U-Haul cargo van that police say is “connected with” the shooting has also been located in Brooklyn, two law enforcement officials told CNN earlier today.

The New York Police Department’s bomb squad is responding to the Brooklyn scene where the found U-Haul is, a law enforcement source tells CNN.

The shooter, who fled the scene, was described as a 5-foot-5-inch Black man with a heavy build wearing a green construction vest and a gray hooded sweatshirt.

Authorities said they discovered cellphone video from an eyewitness showing the suspect.

The shooting left at least 29 people injured, who were treated at three nearby hospitals for injuries, none of which are life-threatening, according to hospital representatives.

Of the injured, 10 people were shot, while others were treated for smoke inhalation, shrapnel and panic in the attack, FDNY First Deputy Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said.

"I feel shocked": Subway shooting survivor says he was sitting next to suspect on train before being shot

Hourari Benkada, 27, said he was sitting next to the Brooklyn subway shooting suspect on the N train Tuesday morning and was shot in the back of his knee while trying to flee. 

Benkada, a housekeeping manager at the New Yorker Hotel, said he got on the last car of the N train and sat next to a man with a duffle bag who was wearing an MTA vest.

The man sitting next to him let off a “smoke bomb” and started shooting about 20 seconds after the train took off, Benkada said. The shooting felt like it lasted for nearly two minutes, Benkada continued. 

Benkada said he was focused on helping a pregnant woman, who he feared would get hurt as people rushed to the front of the car to avoid the shooter.  

That’s when he got shot, describing it as “the worst pain of my entire life.”

He explained that the bullet hit him in the back of his knee and came out the other side. Doctors told him the bullet grazed his kneecap. He is expected to walk on his own after several weeks on crutches.

Benkada said he heard other people in pain but was unable to see them or the suspect because of the smoke.  

NYPD's bomb squad responding to location of found U-Haul in Brooklyn, source tells CNN

The New York Police Department’s bomb squad is responding to the Brooklyn scene where the U-Haul “connected with” this morning’s subway shooting was found, a law enforcement source tells CNN.

CNN reported earlier today that investigators in New York City were looking for a U-Haul that was allegedly connected to the subway shooting, according to internal NYPD emails viewed by CNN. The emails did not spell how the van was connected to the shooting.

Investigators also identified the suspect after finding a credit card at the scene that was used to rent the U-Haul cargo van, sources say.

Watch more:

f7d85df7-74aa-4f0f-a76c-8eff9652c1d5.mp4
01:48 - Source: cnn

Investigators identified suspect after finding credit card at scene that was used to rent U-Haul, sources say

Emergency personnel form a perimeter around a U-Haul van in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Tuesday, April 12.

Investigators identified the suspect in the Brooklyn subway shooting after finding a credit card at the scene that was used to rent the U-Haul cargo van, two law enforcement sources tell CNN.

The U-Haul cargo van that police say is “connected with” the shooting has also been located in Brooklyn, two law enforcement officials told CNN earlier today.

CNN reported that investigators in New York City were looking for a U-Haul that was allegedly connected to the subway shooting, according to internal NYPD emails viewed by CNN. The emails did not spell how the van was connected to the shooting.

More on the suspect: The man who fled the scene was described by authorities in a news conference today as a 5-foot-5-inch Black man with a heavy build wearing a green construction vest and a gray hooded sweatshirt.

Investigators have cell phone video from an eyewitness that shows the suspect, a law enforcement source told CNN.

NYC subway system has almost 600 cameras in Brooklyn section where subway shooting took place

A member of the New York City Police Department climbs a ladder to retrieve a security camera near the subway station shooting in Brooklyn on Tuesday.

There are almost 10,000 cameras in the Metro Transportation Authority (MTA) system, including almost 600 cameras on the Brooklyn section of where Tuesday’s subway attack took place, Janno Lieber, Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) chair and CEO, told CNN’s Jake Tapper. 

Lieber said New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and NYC Mayor Eric Adams made a commitments very early on in the new year to keeping the city’s subway system safe.

“They have put more officers both on the platforms and on the train where people feel vulnerable,” the MTA chair explained, “And there are, you know, there’s an enormous effort to reach out to some of the people who for whatever reason have been sheltering in the subway system.”

In February, New York City unveiled a comprehensive plan, dubbed The Subway Safety Plan, aimed at combating crime and addressing homelessness in the subway system that will expand response teams of health, police and community officials across the city.

Brooklyn Nets will increase security at tonight's game following subway shooting

The NBA’s Brooklyn Nets tell fans to expect an “increased security presence” at Tuesday night’s postseason play-in tournament game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

The team released the following statement ahead of the game — slated to begin at 7 p.m. ET: 

View the statement here:

U-Haul cargo van "connected with" subway shooting located in Brooklyn, sources tell CNN

An aerial view of the U-Haul cargo van police have been searching for is seen on April 12.

The U-Haul cargo van that police say is “connected with” the Brooklyn subway shooting has been located in Brooklyn, two law enforcement officials tell CNN.

Internal emails from top commanders of the New York Police Department don’t indicate how the van might be connected to the shooting.

Earlier today: CNN reported that investigators in New York City were looking for a U-Haul that is allegedly connected to the subway shooting, according to internal NYPD emails viewed by CNN. The emails did not spell how the van is connected to the shooting.

In the emails, top commanders shared a stock image of a white U-Haul cargo van asking officers to be on lookout for a similar van with an Arizona license plate AL31408 that authorities believed is “connected with” the subway shooting.

U-Haul said earlier today that it was “working closely with authorities to ensure they have any and all available information” related to the search for a rental van and its possible connection to the shooting. 

"Victim identification system" activated in response to Brooklyn subway shooting, NYPD says

The NYPD has activated New York City’s Unified Victim Identification System (UVIS) in response to the Brooklyn subway shooting, according to a verified tweet.

The NYPD advised people to call 311, New York City’s government assistance hotline, if they are concerned about someone who may be affected by the shooting and are unable to contact them. 

UVIS is a database system coordinated by the city’s Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications, 311, NYPD, and Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. It is a “disaster management system that manages and coordinates all of the activities related to missing persons reporting and victim identification” and enables “centralized communications and data collection processes,” according to an official city guide on the system. 

It has previously been activated in response to various emergencies in New York City, including the East Harlem building explosion and Hurricane Sandy. In April 2020, former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio activated UVIS in response to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, which allowed New Yorkers to file a report about a friend or loved one who may have gone missing due to Covid-19.

Biden: "We're not letting up" until we find Brooklyn subway shooting suspect

President Biden said on Tuesday that his administration won’t be “letting up” until the suspect of this morning’s shooting on a subway in Brooklyn is found.

Biden brought up the incident during his opening remarks at a speech in Iowa, saying, “My wife, Jill, and I are praying for those who are injured and all those touched by that trauma. And we’re grateful for all of the first responders who jumped in action, including civilians —civilians who didn’t hesitate to help their fellow passengers to try to shield them.”

The President said his team is in touch with the New York City’s mayor and New York’s police commissioner, adding that “the Department of Justice and the FBI are working closely with the NYPD on the ground.”

Eyewitness describes chaotic scene after subway shooting: "Nobody was expecting it"

After walking up to the bloody aftermath of a shooting in the New York subway, photojournalist Derek French tells CNN he stepped in and leveraged his Red Cross first aid training to help victims. 

Moving towards the front of the train, he noticed the platform getting significantly less crowded, but significantly more smokey.

Then, he saw a pool of blood, and victims nearby. At first, French said he thought they had been stabbed, but soon realized they’d been shot

He snapped a few photos, then said he put his camera bag down and went to help the four victims he remembered were laying on the ground — three nearby and a fourth behind him.

Approaching one of the victims, he started talking to him, trying to make sure he was okay. 

French remembered finding that he had been shot in the ankle and was bleeding. 

“I used my windbreaker to make an additional tourniquet as far up the limb as possible to slow it or ensure that another gunshot that I don’t see is restricted from blood flood,” he said. 

He remembered talking to the man and the man, who he believed was still in shock, asking what happened to his ankle.

“What’s going on down there,” he remembered the man asking. 

“You’ve been shot buddy,” someone nearby responded, French remembered. 

French said that within minutes firefighters began to arrive, followed by police, and then medical personnel carrying stretchers. 

When first responders arrived, French remembered asking them for tourniquets to apply in addition to the makeshift ones he and others had already applied. 

Afterwards, as he climbed the stairs out of the bloody subway platforms, French said he was just shaken up. 

“The walk just seemed like a long walk,” he said, saying he was trying to grasp what had just happened and the aid he just gave. 

He saw more heavily armored and gunned police personnel as he exited the turnstiles, and the station.

“You get up there it felt like a breath of fresh air,” he said.  

Preliminary review indicates malfunction with subway station cameras, NYC mayor says

New York City Mayor Eric Adams told WCBS Radio 880 AM that a preliminary review indicates there appeared to be some sort of malfunction with the camera system at the subway station in Tuesday’s shooting.

Adams said investigators are trying to determine whether one camera malfunctioned or whether cameras throughout the entire station malfunctioned.

The mayor said his office is in communication with the MTA and is attempting to clarify details on reports of camera malfunctions.

CNN has reached out to the MTA for more information.

Investigators looking for a U-Haul van with Arizona plates in connection with the Brooklyn subway shooting

Investigators in New York City are looking for a U-Haul that is allegedly connected to Tuesday’s Brooklyn subway shooting, according to internal NYPD emails viewed by CNN.

The emails do not spell how the van is connected to the shooting.

In the emails, top commanders shared a stock image of a white U-Haul cargo van asking officers to be on lookout for a similar van with an Arizona license plate #AL31408 that authorities believe is “connected with” the subway shooting in which 10 people were struck by gunfire.

The emails were widely sent to NYPD officers and detectives. In one directive, officers were instructed that if they come across the U-Haul van and it is occupied that they should “take extreme precautions” in attempting to stop it, adding that if the van is unoccupied to notify commanders.

According to another directive, officers are told that “if this vehicle is observed moving and occupied, conduct a traffic stop and detain occupants.”

U-Haul says it’s “working closely with authorities to ensure they have any and all available information” related to the search for a rental van and its possible connection to the shooting.

“Law enforcement has alerted us to its search for a rental van and its possible connection to a suspect in today’s incident in New York City,” Sebastien Reyes, U-Haul’s vice president of communications, told CNN in a statement. “We are working closely with authorities to ensure they have any and all available information to meet their needs.” 

At least 29 people hospitalized in connection with subway shooting, information from local hospitals shows

At least 29 people have been hospitalized in connection with the Brooklyn subway shooting, according to information provided to CNN by several local hospitals.

Twenty-one patients were admitted, and 10 have since been discharged, to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn, spokesperson Lacy Scarmana told CNN. The injuries included gunshot wounds and smoke inhalation. Eleven remaining patients are in stable condition with non-life- threatening injuries, she said.

Five patients were admitted to Maimonides Medical Center, spokesperson Suzanne Tammaro told CNN. Three were treated for smoke inhalation and have since been released. Two patients with gunshot wounds remain hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

Three patients were admitted at New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, spokesperson Tony Chau said. One has a gunshot injury, one has a fracture, and one has a “non-trauma-related” injury. All three are in stable condition.

At a news conference earlier today, The FDNY said that they treated and transported 16 patients from the subway shooting. The additional people who were hospitalized likely went to the nearby hospitals on their own, an FDNY spokesperson said.  

Investigators using cell phone video from eyewitness that shows shooting suspect, law enforcement source says

Investigators have cell phone video from an eyewitness to the Brooklyn subway shooting that shows the suspect, a law enforcement source tells CNN.

The shooting suspect is still at large, officials say, and a manhunt is underway for a subway passenger who put on a gas mask, deployed a gas canister and then began shooting at commuters as a train pulled into the subway station on Tuesday, injuring at least 16 people.

The shooter, who fled the scene, was described as a 5-foot-5-inch Black man with a heavy build wearing a green construction vest and a gray hooded sweatshirt.

The FBI is working with the NYPD on the investigation and is following “every viable lead,” said Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI New York Field Office.

CNN’s Brynn Gingras, Pervaiz Shallwani, Mark Morales, Kristina Sgueglia and Eric Levenson contributed reporting to this post. 

READ MORE

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READ MORE

A quiet morning commute on a Brooklyn subway quickly became a ‘war zone’ leaving more than 20 people injured, NYC mayor says
What we know and don’t know about the Brooklyn subway shooting
Gun violence keeps supercharging America’s Second Amendment debate