BEDFORD-STUYVESANT, NY – A shooting on a Brooklyn subway has left two people injured. The incident occurred around 5:30 p.m. on a northbound C train near the Ralph Avenue subway station in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
A dispute between a 17-year-old boy and another passenger on the moving train led to the shooting, according to police sources. The passenger allegedly pulled out a gun, shooting the teenager in his hand and another passenger, an innocent bystander in his 50s, in the ankle.
Public reaction to the incident highlighted growing concerns about safety in public transit. “That could’ve just been me. It could’ve been her. It could’ve been anyone,” said straphanger Anna Talapa.
Passengers United, a group advocating for commuters’ rights, has repeatedly called on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and city and state officials to address the safety issues plaguing the subway system. Jack Nierenberg, vice president of Passengers United, stated, “If this shooting today did not scream a safety crisis, I don’t know what did.”
Despite an apparent 25% decrease in shootings citywide compared to last year and a 2.4% drop in crime on public transit compared to 2022, passengers remain wary. Crime in transit is still up 6.6% compared to 2010.
Increased police presence in the affected subway station and C train, witnessed by CBS New York following the incident, provided some assurance. As for the victims, they were rushed to local hospitals for medical treatment and both of them are expected to survive. The investigation is ongoing with police urging anyone with information to come forward.