Gun Used to Shoot 10 in Brooklyn Subway Attack May Have Jammed, Source Says; Person of Interest Identified

At least 10 Brooklyn subway riders were shot Tuesday by a man wearing a gas mask and a green construction vest who tossed a smoke canister in the train car to distract the rush hour crowd before opening fire, officials and law enforcement sources said.

At least another 19 straphangers were hurt in the chaos that followed the shooting aboard the Manhattan-bound N train at the 36th Street and Fourth Avenue station in Sunset Park around 8:30 a.m. The gunman was still on the loose nine hours later.

One source close to the investigation says his gun may have jammed, potentially preventing further loss of life. A weapon was recovered at the scene, as was a bag with smoke canisters and fireworks, lending further credence to the theory of a premeditated attack on New York City transit riders, sources and officials say.

aw enforcement officials believe they have identified the man who rented the U-Haul linked to the Brooklyn subway shooting suspect. Here's what they know about the man so far. NBC New York's Myles Miller and Jonathan Dienst reports.

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A senior law enforcement official says authorities have an image of the man they believe is the suspect and are working to identify him. They also found a U-Haul van on Kings Highway in Gravesend with Arizona plates that may be linked to the suspect. Here's what we know.

Law enforcement believe that they identified the man who rented the U-Haul, sources told NBC New York, and police are looking into whether he is the same person who carried out the attack. The man has ties to Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, with past criminal records in those states, as well as ties to New York, law enforcement sources said.

It appeared that the man drove the rental van to New York from Pennsylvania on Monday, based on license plate reader data and other info, sources said. Investigators obtained video from 5 a.m. Tuesday near where the van was found parked appearing to show a man matching the description of the subway attacker emerging from the van.

Police are still searching for the Brooklyn subway shooting suspect, along with a U-Haul believed to be connected to him. NBC New York's Myles Miller and Jonathan Dienst reports.

The MTA surveillance camera in the station wasn't working at the time of the shooting, three sources say.

Five of the gunshot victims were said to be critically injured. Details on the nature of their wounds weren't immediately clear. No fatalities have been reported. It's not clear what kind of gun was used, nor was it immediately known how many shots were fired.

Witnesses said the entire train car smelled of gasoline, and MTA sources described a similar smell too. Law enforcement sources later said a spray bottle of gasoline was found.

The smoke canister, and harrowing video from the train, prompted early concerns about possible explosive devices connected to the case, but NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell assured New Yorkers in an early afternoon news conference that there are no known explosive devices on any subway trains in the city at this time.

Some of the 10 wounded were in the same train car as the suspect. Others were on the platform, authorities said. The train was still moving when Sewell says he donned a gas mask, threw a smoke canister on the subway car floor and started shooting.

The train stopped at the next station, at 25th Street. Greenish smoke was seen spewing from the subway doors when the Manhattan-bound N train stopped at the platform. People were seen running, and bleeding. In total, 29 were hurt. The nearly two dozen victims not injured by gunfire were hurt in the crowd response to the chaos.

Multiple people shot during a subway shooting in Brooklyn on Tuesday morning. Cell phone video shows commuters run off the platform while smoke is seen. Video credit: Will B. Wylde

One straphanger who limped off the train fell and had to be helped away by fellow riders. Other photos showed people bleeding on the platform. Some of the wounded jumped on another train to flee to the next station, law enforcement sources said.

The injured were taken to at least three city hospitals. NYU Langone had 21 patients, though 11 had been released by mid-afternoon. Maimonides Medical Center reported at least five patients, while NYP-Brooklyn Methodist. Patients were treated for conditions ranging from gunshot wounds to smoke inhalation to a fracture.

At least one person had a non-trauma-related injury. All are expected to survive. Missing a loved one? Here's what to do.

The New York City Unified Victim Identification System (UVIS) has been activated in response to the NYPD activity located near 36th Street and 4th Avenue in Brooklyn.

If you are concerned about the welfare of someone who may have been affected by the event and are unable to contact them, please call 311. From outside of NYC, you may call 212-639-9675.

Police were combing through subway tunnels, based on some witness reports he may have jumped to the tracks, but the gunman remained on the loose hours later.

MAP: Here's Where the Subway Shooting Happened

One law enforcement source said the victims ranged in age from teenagers to middle-aged people. NYU Langone said it had received eight victims, five of them with either gunshot or shrapnel wounds and three with smoke inhalation.

All were expected to survive, the hospital said.

Police described the suspected shooter as a man about 5 feet 5 inches tall and 170 pounds. He was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt in addition to the green vest.

Cops believe he acted alone. A number of sources say a dispute may have unfolded on the train just before the gunfire broke out. A motive is under investigation, though right now the all-out manhunt for the gunman is investigators' top priority. police say.

Pictures: Multiple People Hurt in Brooklyn Subway Shooting

Experts say at this early stage that the shooting appears to have been an orchestrated attack, though they caution that much could change rapidly as details develop.

At this point, the shooting is not being investigated as an act of terrorism, officials say.

The 36th Street station where the shooting happened has about 9,000 people pass through that stop on an average weekday as of February 2022, according to the MTA. It was 13,000 before the pandemic, which plunged subway ridership citywide.

No trains were stuck in between stations during the emergency, officials said.

The NYPD warned New Yorkers to avoid the area and to expect emergency vehicles and delays. Power was shut off on the N/R Line from 59 Street to Atlantic Avenue early and most trains were not running between Manhattan and Brooklyn by early afternoon. Get the latest real-time transit updates from your key sources here.

The NYPD is leading the investigation. Federal investigators with ATF and HSI are also on the scene.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been briefed on the situation, a spokesperson said -- and pleaded with New Yorkers to avoid the area to assist in the investigation.

My statement on this morning's shooting in Brooklyn: pic.twitter.com/TbLfCZa7WW — Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) April 12, 2022

President Joe Biden was briefed on the situation, and later said at a press conference that he and First Lady Jill Biden are "praying for those injured and all those touched by that trauma." He also thanked first responders as well as civilians who jumped in to help those in need right away.

White House senior staff are in touch with Adams and Sewell to offer federal assistance as needed, a spokesperson said.

"We're going to continue to stay in close contact with New York authorities and as we learn more about the situation over the coming hours and days," Biden said. "We're not letting up on it until we find out and we find the perpetrator."

Law enforcement officials from Philadelphia to Jersey City and Newark were stepping up security at transit hubs as a precaution.

If you have any information about the incident at the 36th St station in Brooklyn, please contact us immediately. 911 for emergencies and critical info, Crime Stoppers hotline for non-emergency info that can assist in the investigation: 800-577-TIPS (8477) @NYPDTips pic.twitter.com/WLctohRJKI — NYPD Transit (@NYPDTransit) April 12, 2022

Local schools were placed under a shelter in place order, a Department of Education spokesperson said. It's not clear how many were affected but the chancellor said most of the orders had been lifted by mid-afternoon. Schools in close proximity to the shooting scene were still shut down and all students were safe, David Banks said.

The following schools stayed in a shelter-in-place mode until dismissal: PS 24, Sunset Park High School, PS 371, Little Brooklyn Pre-K Center (219 25th St), and Little Brooklyn Pre-K Center (173-177 25th Street).

Parents should contact their individual schools for details on the pickup and any possible afterschool programming changes.

"NYPD and School Safety will provide extra support for a safe transition home and principals will be communicating with parents regarding specifics," Banks said. "MTA shuttle buses will also be available for students who need transport to subway stations. The rest of the area's schools will dismiss normally."

At least five people have been shot in a Brooklyn subway station by a man in a gas mask and orange construction vest who may have tossed a smoke canister on the platform to distract the rush hour crowd, according to NYPD officials and senior law enforcement officials. They stress the investigation is preliminary.