Emergency responders show up to the scene at 79th and Broadway, c/o Citizen
UPDATE (Saturday, July 20):
An NYPD spokesperson told us that a fight between two male passengers had taken place on the train and that one was struck with an umbrella, suffering minor lacerations to the left side of his forehead and left thumb. The victim, a 39-year-old man, was taken by EMS to St. Luke’s Hospital and was conscious at the time of the transport. The other man–who allegedly used the umbrella as a weapon–fled the station in an unknown direction and is still being sought by the police. A broken umbrella was recovered at the scene by the NYPD and the incident is currently under investigation.
It appears there was no knife or gun involved.
Advertisement
Original article, published on July 19:
Hundreds of riders on a crowded uptown 1 train fled the 79th Street station after reports of a gunman triggered pandemonium this week.The incident took place Wednesday night shortly after 10 p.m. as the train pulled into the station.
A passenger told ILTUWS that several teenagers ran down the platform toward the exit yelling that someone in a car towards the front of the train had a gun. Hearing this and seeing the commotion, other passengers began running off the train. The one open stairway quickly became a bottleneck as highly-packed riders slowly made their way up and out into the rainy night.
“The conductor honked his horn several times,” the witness said. “Suddenly people from the front of the train started running down the platform, like extras in a Godzilla movie. Sheer panic on their faces.”
The witness heard there had been a fight in a front car and that passengers thought someone involved reached for a gun or perhaps a knife. It’s not clear what, if anything, the individual actually reached for.
He said there was no announcement from the MTA that he was aware of, although there may’ve been after he left the station as it appears the train remained for a while. The 1 train became an express for some time after the incident, traveling from 72nd to 96th Street.
Northbound 1/2/3 trains are running with delays after NYPD/EMS responded to people being disruptive on board a train at 79 St.
Northbound 1 trains have resumed local service from 72 St to 96 St. https://t.co/WIDMrnpbM2
— NYCT Subway (@NYCTSubway) July 18, 2024
Advertisement
“The teen group from the front was screaming, which contributed to the panic. Their counselors were trying to keep them calm,” the witness said. He told us they were all wearing matching t-shirts and appeared to be part of a camp.
He said the teens were yelling that someone had “reached for a gun.” They continued to say this as they waited to get up the crowded stairs.
Several passengers dropped to the platform floor, the witness said, presumably to take cover and lay low. One elderly woman was carried up the stairs as passengers struggled to flee.
“People panicked,” he said, particularly since only one exit was open and hundreds of passengers were trying to get out. “If there was a danger of fire we’d be screwed. The other entrance was blocked by construction.”
The passenger got outside and waited a few minutes on the sidewalk until he saw police officers arriving, he said.
Advertisement
About an hour later, an alert on Citizen reported that the NYPD “confirmed a Level 1 mobilization at the 79th Street and Broadway subway station. Officers are actively searching for the suspect with a knife.”
Per several police dispatch calls shared on Citizen, the suspect being sought was a Black male between 50 and 60 years old. Officers said he was about 5’6″ and 160 pounds, had a cane and was wearing a pink shirt.
When ILTUWS contacted the NYPD for details, an officer told us their systems were down due to the global tech outage. We’ll provide updates when we know more.
“’People panicked,” he said, particularly since only one exit was open and hundreds of passengers were trying to get out. “If there was a danger of fire we’d be screwed. The other entrance was blocked by construction.’”
I see the MTA is still thinking ahead real well. /s
Furthermore, with a really crowded train — not usually one at 10PM — such a stampede could cause deaths by trampling, and/or people trying to flee could be thrown on to the tracks especially at an express stop the West 72nd Street IRT station.
Most of these feral yutes need to be bounced from the system.
Hey, MTA — how about ENFORCING fare evasion???
Get these punks and others not having paid OUT OF THE SYSTEM.
The subway should NOT be a homeless shelter or mental ward. Get these people help in the proper place, not the subway.
Sounds like s man in his 50’s was the problem, not the yutes…
Reading comprehension is sadly lacking with the trolls.
Loh Phat,
Hard to see how fare evasion is the cause here? Anyhow subways should be free at the point of use the way streets and avenues are in NYC.
More foot patrols by the NYPD could help, as long as “foot patrol” means walking the beat, and not standing around on a corner or platform playing video games.
Free? Why? The subway doesn’t operate without costs. You want to use it? Pay for it.
Why are you entitled to free rides without contributing anything to improve it.
Transportation is not an entitlement. Can’t afford it? Walk or take a bike.
50%+ of Bronx bus riders don’t pay. We’d have a better, cleaner system if everyone paid.
Loh Phat:
Roads, streets, avenues, etc don’t operate without costs, yet most are free at the point of use (look up that term) in NYC.
“Take a bike” on what path?
Your use of the sidewalk for walking is not without cost, but the your don’t have to pay to use the sidewalk.
Did you even read my comment?
“50%+ of Bronx bus riders don’t pay. We’d have a better, cleaner system if everyone paid.”
You can prove this cleaner claim?
We’d have a cleaner system if Rudy and George P hadn’t stolen 1.5 billion per year from the MTA in the mid-1990s which has had to be replaced by debt and debt payments in the decades since.
Contrast this with trump shooting. Absolute calm. Not one person ran.
Yes. First thing I thought of.
5-6 man with a cane wearing a pink shirt causes a stampede.
God help us.
How many other people got shot besides Trump? Maybe they should have. Maybe they were just slow.