Police: MS-13 Gang Suspect In Custody Following Deadly Shooting On Subway Platform
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Police have a suspect in custody following a deadly shooting on a subway platform in Queens.
Authorities said two men started arguing with the 20-year-old victim on board a southbound 7 train shortly before 1 p.m. Sunday. The fight spilled onto the platform at the 90th Street-Elmhurst Avenue station in Jackson Heights.
One man pulled out a gun and shot the victim multiple times, including in his head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
"Literally the whole dispute and shooting was captured on video," said NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea. "We believe we have the shooter in custody in under 24 hours."
Shea said the victim was shot multiple times in the face.
The suspect, 26, is an MS-13 gang member who has previously been arrested, Shea said.
Watch: NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea on Subway Platform Shooting
"We have had a number of incidents involving MS-13 in recent months," Shea said, but he couldn't say whether there has been an uptick in MS-13 related incidents comparatively. "They are suspected in a number of troubling incidents in Queens in the last year or two."
The victim was also in a gang, but not MS-13, and had also previously been arrested.
"It's definitely gang related," Shea said.
Shea said crime in New York was at historic lows, which makes incidents like this one an "aberration" and "extremely rare."
Police said they're still hoping to question several other people in connection with the case.
"There were many witnesses on that train that saw this incident. So we're asking any riders who actually have video to please send that video up to us," NYPD Chief of Transit Edward Delatorre said Sunday.
WATCH: NYPD Press Conference On Subway Platform Shooting
This is the first subway shooting on the year. Last year, overall crime was down across the city, but transit crime was up 3.8 percent.
MTA Chief External Affairs Officer Max Young released a statement calling the shooting "beyond horrifying."
"The NYPD is currently investigating and we are cooperating fully with their investigation. While our system and the city are safer than ever before, we have zero tolerance for any violence on our subways and buses, and the safety of our customers and employees will always be our number one priority," the statement continued.
Anyone with any additional information is asked to call NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish. You can also submit a tip via the Crime Stoppers website, by Tweeting @NYPDTips or by texting a tip to 274637 (CRIMES) and then entering TIP577.