In our NYC bureau’s backyard, a subway shooting and a mystery continues to unfold

The morning rush hour shooting in a New York City subway car has violently shattered the new “normal” in the nation’s largest metropolis.

The city had already been struggling to recover from the brutal toll of the coronavirus pandemic, which hit New York especially hard in the spring of 2020. Thousands of New Yorkers died. Streets were empty. Tourists disappeared as travel was restricted. Many residents simply picked up and left, decamping to less cramped quarters.

Today, the city is undeniably full of life. Restaurants are packed. Sidewalks are full. But problems remain. Rising rents and the skyrocketing cost of living have hit the most vulnerable New Yorkers especially hard, shining a stark light on the city’s widening inequality. Empty storefronts are a common sight in some of the busiest areas of Manhattan, a sign that the economic recovery is incomplete.

The city cannot thrive without a well-functioning subway system. While there are plenty of cars clogging the streets of New York, it’s a point of pride among many residents to eschew car ownership. And many simply can’t afford to own a car. The subway, therefore, is a lifeline – an essential service for millions of residents to get to work, to socialize, to visit a park or a nearby beach like Coney Island or the Rockaways on a hot summer’s day. At its best, the subway is a wonder. For a couple of dollars, you can ride from the tip of Manhattan all the way to the Atlantic Ocean.

But even before the senseless violence of Tuesday morning, it’s clear many New Yorkers don’t feel entirely safe packing into a metal tube barrelling through tunnels below the city. From violent episodes to concerns about the coronavirus, ridership has remained down.

Weekday subway ridership has hit a plateau averaging below 60 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. The transit system has been in disrepair for years, relying on antiquated signalling systems and constant delays. As service has deteriorated, prices have climbed as the transit authority has warned that it faces an existential budget crisis. In short, New Yorkers are paying more and getting less.

While The Independent is a global newsroom, with journalists spread across continents and cities, many of our US staff are based in New York. The Brooklyn subway shooting happened in our backyard, and our team of journalists mobilised to bring readers the latest information.

After the news broke, our New York newsroom hustled to cover every angle. Our correspondent Richard Hall hopped in a cab to the scene of the shooting in Sunset Park, a working-class neighbourhood with many Asian and Latino residents. There, he interviewed people who had seen what happened – many of whom were in disbelief that the main suspect hadn’t yet been apprehended. As news broke that CCTV cameras at the station weren’t working and even a station police officer’s radio malfunctioned, meaning he couldn’t call for backup during the unfolding chaos and had to instead ask bystanders to call 911 on their phones, a palpable sense of mistrust in the NYPD began to build. Matters weren’t helped by the fact that the new mayor, Eric Adams, who had run on a platform of stopping crime and was known for rushing to the scene of any incident, was unable to physically attend because he’d just tested positive for Covid.

Many questions remain, including how the gunman was able to evade authorities in the aftermath of the violence. The suspect has now been arrested after a long two days for the city, during which nobody felt quite safe and many workers elected to stay at home rather than travel on public transportation while a shooter was at large.

We will be reporting on this story closely not just because it happened in our home, but because the problems that face New York often reflect larger issues across the country.

Yours,

David Taintor

US news editor