New York City Mayor Eric Adams pledged to double the number of police officers in the city's subway system after several people were shot at a station in Brooklyn's Sunset Park neighborhood on Tuesday morning.
Sixteen people were injured during the shooting at the 36th Street station after a suspect, wearing a gas mask, opened fire, shooting people in a subway car and on the platform as the train pulled into the station.
Adams, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, made the pledge while appearing virtually on CNN Tuesday afternoon. "I will say to New Yorkers we're going to hold the day tour of the transit police officers to double the number of officers that are traditionally patrolling the system," he said.
Calling the incident a "senseless act of violence," Adams added: "We're going to make sure that we actively and aggressively identify the person to go after the person who was responsible. And then we're asking New Yorkers, if they see something, please say something, and also do something by calling your local officials."
Officers who typically work during the daytime will work throughout the night "so New Yorkers will see an omnipresence of transit police on subway platforms," Adams' press secretary Fabien Levy told City & State New York.
Other details, including how long Adams' plan will last and if it will involve hiring more officers, were not immediately clear Tuesday afternoon.
Investigators were working to determine a motive for the shooting, but it is not being investigated as an act of terror at this time. None of the victims suffered life-threatening injuries, though five were in critical condition. The shooter still remained at large as of publication time.
Police were searching for a U-Haul truck with Arizona license plate number AL31408 in connection to the shooting, but it remained unknown how the truck was connected to the incident Tuesday afternoon.
Adams also confirmed to local news station WCBS on Tuesday that the security cameras were not operating in the subway station, adding that his office was communicating with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which oversees public transportation in New York, to find out if it was one camera down, or multiple throughout the station.
The shooting has led some to raise questions about Adams' public transit safety plan while renewing the debate about defunding the police. In February, Adams released a safety plan for the city's subway system in an effort to address public safety concerns while supporting those experiencing homelessness and mental illness on the subway.
Newsweek reached out to Adams' office for comment.
Update 4/12/22, 5:12 p.m. ET: This story was updated with additional information.
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Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more
