Sixteen people were injured after a shooter wearing a gas mask opened fire in a New York City subway car Tuesday morning in an incident in which smoke also engulfed the car, authorities said.
The violence began at 8:24 a.m., when a Manhattan-bound N train was waiting to enter the station at 36th Street and 4th Avenue, in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn, New York Police Department Commissioner Keechant Sewell said at a Tuesday press conference.
According to Sewell, the suspect donned a gas mask, then took out a canister of smoke and threw it to the ground, causing the car to begin to fill with smoke. Then, he opened fire.
According to Sewell, none of the injuries are considered life-threatening. The shooting is not being investigated as an act of terrorism at the moment, Sewell said, but the investigation remains ongoing.
Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock
The suspect is still at large. He was described as a Black man, standing about 5 feet 5 inches tall, with a heavyset build. He was wearing a green “construction-type” vest and a gray hooded sweatshirt at the time of the shooting, said Sewell.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said of the shooter, “This person is still on the loose. This person is dangerous.”
For more on this story, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.
An NYPD source tells PEOPLE authorities are searching the subway tunnels for the suspect.
The victims who didn’t suffer gunshot wounds had injuries including smoke inhalation, shrapnel and panic from the incident, an FDNY spokesperson said at the press conference.
Despite earlier reports that there were several undetonated devices found at the station, authorities said no explosive devices have been found.
source: people.com
