The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
A man has been left critically injured after he was shot multiple times with his own firearm on a moving subway train in New York City after he allegedly got into a fight with another passenger.
The train was arriving at the busy Hoyt Skirmhorn station in downtown Brooklyn during the evening rush hour on Thursday around 4.45 when officers nearby heard shots being fired.
The New York Police Department say a 32-year-old man is with detectives, while a 36-year-old man has been taken to a local hospital, where he is in critical condition undergoing surgery. Police have not released the identities of either man.
However, the police added that the 36-year-old victim was also acting “aggressive” in this altercation, as he was the one who displayed both a firearm and a razor blade or knife while on the train.
Michael Kemper, the New York Police Department’s chief of transit, said at a news conference after the incident that the 32-year-old man got onto a northbound A train on the subway in the afternoon; the 36-year-old man was already on the train.
The 36-year-old allegedly approached the other man, with witnesses describing him as “aggressive and provocative,” Mr Kemper said.
Police say that this is the firearm they took from the scene
(New York Police Department)
Words were initially exchanged, but their argument escalated into a physical altercation multiple times.
At one point, the 36-year-old displayed a knife or a razor blade toward the 32-year-old man, but he put it down while words were still being exchanged, and the fight again got physical.
The 36-year-old man then got out a firearm from his jacket, and walked towards the other man “in a menacing way,” while yelling at him.
“During this physical confrontation, that gun, we believe, was removed from the 36-year-old by the 32-year-old, and the 32-year-old fired multiple shots, striking the 36-year-old,” Mr Kemper said.
As all of this was unfolding, the moving train pulled into the station, where multiple officers happened to be feet away.
The officers were on scene within seconds, giving medical assistance, calling an ambulance and rounding up witnesses.
The 36-year-old man who was shot has been taken to a local hospital in critical condition.
Charges are yet to be determined and the investigation is ongoing.