PH Consulate advises Filipinos in NYC to be extra vigilant
AT LEAST 23 people were injured in a shooting on the New York City subway on Tuesday, April 12.
NYPD patrol officers in Manhattan’s East Village neighborhood arrested Frank James, 62 on Wednesday afternoon, April 13 officials said.
The gunman who was wearing a gas mask released two smoke canisters and then started shooting aboard a subway car on the N train as it approached the 36th Street Station in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood during the morning rush hour, authorities said.
Five gunshot victims are in critical condition but are expected to survive. At least a dozen people who escaped gunshot wounds were treated for smoke inhalation and other injuries
The shooting happened two days after Mayor Eric Adams celebrated his first 100 days in office.
“When I became mayor, I made a simple promise to New Yorkers to ‘Get Stuff Done,’ and we’ve done just that over the last 100 days,” said Mayor Adams. “Since January, my administration has lived up to our promise to New Yorkers, addressing the issues that matter the most to our city’s residents, from fighting the epidemic of gun violence to giving our kids and youth access to better jobs and educational opportunities.”
Among the mayor’s points that he touted were his nine-point Subway Safety Plan and his his Blueprint to End Gun Violence.
The Subway Safety Plan expands response teams and mental health services, adds trained clinicians to connect people with resources, and directs New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers to enforce MTA rules.
The blueprint on the other hand refocuses the NYPD on the individuals responsible for the majority of shootings in the city and the sources of guns in the five boroughs, empowers violence interrupters, provides jobs and enrichment programming for at-risk youth, expands mental health care, and improves collaboration between the city, state, and federal government.
“We have not found any live explosive devices, but the suspect in today’s attack detonated smoke bombs to cause havoc. We will not allow New Yorkers to be terrorized even by a single individual,” Mayor Adams said.
In an advisory posted on its Facebook page, the Philippine Consulate General said it is monitoring developments related to the reported shooting incident at the 36th Street Subway Station in Brooklyn that left several people wounded.
The New York City Police Department has just informed @PHinNewYork that there are no Filipinos among the at least 29 people who were reported injured in the mass shooting on the N train in Brooklyn on Tuesday morning. @DFAPHL @teddyboylocsin pic.twitter.com/iLEX0QIQT6
— Elmer G Cato (@elmer_cato) April 13, 2022
The consulate is asking on kababayan to exercise extreme caution in view of the city-wide manhunt for the suspect.
“Kababayan are requested to be vigilant and to take the necessary precautions as the suspect has not yet been apprehended” and “avoid the 36th Street Station in Sunset Park due to ongoing law enforcement investigation there,” according to the advisory.
In a tweet, Consul General Elmer G. Cato said, “The New York City Police Department has just informed @PHinNewYork that there are no Filipinos among the at least 29 people who were reported injured in the mass shooting on the N train in Brooklyn on Tuesday morning.”
