A shooting at a Bronx subway station Monday evening following an altercation aboard a No. 4 train left one person dead and five others wounded, including two teenagers and a senior citizen.
Officers responded to a 911 call just after 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 12 on the northbound platform at the Mount Eden Avenue station and found six people with gunshot wounds on the platform.
One victim, a 34-year-old man, was pronounced deceased, while the other five were taken to local hospitals in stable condition. The wounded included a 14-year-old girl, a 15-year-old boy, a 28-year-old man, a 29-year-old woman, and a 71-year-old man.
The gunfire erupted on a northbound 4 train just before the evening rush hour on Monday, police said at a press conference Monday evening. NYPD Transit Chief Michael Kemper said that two groups were fighting aboard the train and, when it pulled into Mount Eden Avenue station, someone within the group fired a shot from within the train.
“We don’t believe this was a random shooting, we don’t believe this was just an individual shooting indiscriminately onto a train,” said Kemper. “We believe this shooting all stemmed from a dispute between two groups that started on the train.”
As people fled the scene, more shots were fired on the platform and chaos ensued. It’s unclear whether any of the victims were part of the groups fighting on the train.
“New York’s heart breaks when people are headed home, and kids who are coming home from school to do their homework are subjected to random acts of violence, like what occurred here late this afternoon,” said MTA Chair Janno Lieber.
Police are looking for at least one suspected shooter, who fled westbound on Mount Eden Avenue on foot and has not been caught.
“You are now NYPD’s most wanted, and you have the greatest detectives in the world looking for you,” said Tarik Sheppard, the NYPD’s chief spokesperson, at the press conference. “We suggest you turn yourself in, because you’re not gonna make it.”
Efrain Feliciano, 61, was standing nearby the station when he said he heard six gunshot blasts, followed by multiple people screaming.
“The train was coming in, and I saw two kids yelling,” said Feliciano. “And then from there, I heard six…shots. Six of them, boom boom boom boom.”
A massive investigation is now underway. On X (the platform formerly known as Twitter), police advised residents to avoid the area of Mount Eden and Jerome Avenues near the scene of the shooting.
Northbound 4 trains were running express from 149th Street to Burnside Avenue and were skipping the Mount Eden Avenue stop in both directions as a result of the shooting, the MTA said.
Despite the shocking and gruesome crime, Kemper sought to assure riders that such attacks on the subway system are exceedingly rare.
“To have a shooting like this in the subway system is extremely rare and unacceptable,” Kemper said. “The subway system is safe. This is not the norm, this is not indicative to what goes on in the subway system.”
“The bigger question is, is why do people feel emboldened to pull guns out and shoot them,” he continued. “There must be consequences when these arrests are made.”
This is a developing story. Check back later for updates.
Anyone with information regarding this incident can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
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