Brooklyn subway attack has straphangers asking what can be done to make the transit system safer
NEW YORK -- Tuesday's subway attack has left many straphangers feeling vulnerable, so what can be done to prevent another incident like the one in Brooklyn?
As CBS2's Nick Caloway reports, the answer is not so simple.
READ MORE: Nearly 2 dozen injured in Brooklyn subway shooting, smoke bomb attack
"I mean the mayhem, it was actually very frightening," Bedford-Stuyvesant resident Joanne McKinney said.
For some commuters, images like the ones from Tuesday morning serve as a reminder that the subway system no longer feels safe.
WATCH: Security expert Manny Gomez on Brooklyn shooting investigation
"Very unsafe, frightening. I mean, what do we do next?" McKinney said.
That's the question city leaders now face -- how to harden such a sprawling, soft target.
"It's too large to make 100% safe," retired FBI agent Manny Gomez said.
He says the New York City subway system will always be an attractive target for criminals and keeping guns out is nearly impossible.
"You can't have metal detectors at every subway station. That is logistically and financially ridiculous," Gomez said.
Gomez says more police officers are needed in the subways, but law enforcement can't be alone in the fight against crime or terror.
WATCH: Security expert Nelson Vegara on Brooklyn shooting investigation
Nelson Vergara, a retired NYPD detective, said the old saying "If you see something, say something" is more important than ever.
"And it's something that we forget. We don't want to get involved. It's something that, unfortunately, we have to get involved because it is our city. You know, it's something that we have to protect at all cost," he said.
Security experts say from a safety standpoint, it's not a great idea to stop and take videos of an active shooter situation, but on the other hand, all those videos and pictures on social media will be very important for law enforcement as they work to catch the shooter.