NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- A shooting at the 36th Street subway station in Sunset Park left at least 10 people shot Tuesday morning, authorities said amid a manhunt for a suspect who fled in a construction vest and gas mask.
The FDNY said it was called to the scene of a smoke condition a little before 8:30 a.m. at the station and found multiple gunshot victims as well as several undetonated devices. The NYPD later tweeted that there were "no active explosive devices at this time." Multiple smoke devices were later found on the scene, according to mayoral spokesperson Fabien Levy.
Images on social media show multiple injured people lying on a platform of the station amid pools of blood and clouds of smoke. Blood also covered the floor of a train. Gunshots were heard on the train, and witnesses said people were already shot on board before the train arrived at the station and people ran off amid clouds of smoke. Some passengers escaped into the tunnel.
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.Spencer Platt/Getty Images
"My subway door opened into calamity. It was smoke and blood and people screaming," eyewitness Sam Carcamo told 1010 WINS, saying he saw a gigantic billow of smoke pouring out of the N train once the door opened.
A supermarket worker said he saw crowds of people running from the subway station, including a woman with a gunshot wound to at least one of her legs, maybe both. She was screaming for help and laid down in the street, where she was soon attended to. She was said to be among the victims who's in stable condition.
Video shows multiple people on the ground and blood on the platform at the 36th Street station.Steven Scammacca
Provided
At least 10 people were shot, sources said. The FDNY said 13 people were injured in all. Eleven of them were taken to area hospitals, including two who were in critical condition.
A manhunt was underway for the suspected gunman. Preliminary information indicated the suspect was wearing an orange construction vest and a gas mask, a law enforcement source told the Associated Press.
Police described the suspect as a Black male, 5 feet 5 inches tall and 175 to 200 pounds, wearing an MTA uniform and a gas mask.
A law enforcement source told CBS News that "authorities are investigating what appears to have been a planned attack." There is no known motive, and if it is a planned attack, it's unclear if it was terrorism or a criminal act, the source said.
Video shows a massive police and FDNY response outside the station with helicopters overhead. Several schools in the area were sheltering place, the Department of Education said.
President Joe Biden, Mayor Eric Adams, Gov. Kathy Hochul and other local and federal officials have been briefed on the shooting.
"[Biden] has been briefed on the latest developments regarding the New York City subway shooting," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. "White House senior staff are in touch with Mayor Adams and Police Commissioner Sewell to offer any assistance as needed."
An FBI official told WABC that it is assisting the NYPD in their investigation. The official said it's unclear if there is a connection terrorism but that FBI headquarters is monitoring. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Explosives was also assisting the NYPD, according to CNN.
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.Spencer Platt/Getty Images
The NYPD urged people to avoid the area at 36th Street and Fourth Avenue "due to an investigation." It's the location of the 36th Street station serving the D, N, Q, R and W lines.
"Expect emergency vehicles and delays in the surrounding area," the NYPD tweeted.
The MTA said there were is no D/N/R service in Brooklyn and some stations in Manhattan and that riders should expect major delays on B/D/F N/Q/R trains.
