Authorities hunting a masked gunman who shot 10 and injured 18 others have recovered a gun and multiple high capacity rounds from the Brooklyn subway station where the shooting took place.
The gun may have jammed during the shooting, indicating the suspect intended to injure or kill even more victims, according to two law enforcement sources who spoke to CNN.
At least 28 people were injured when a man wearing a gas mask and green vest threw a smoke device into a train on the N/R line as it entered 36th St station before opening fire around 8.30am, sparking panic among rush hour commuters.
The gunman remained on the run more than seven hours after the attack.
Just after 3pm, police they had identified a rented U-Haul van with Arizona plates that may be linked to the shooter.
Law enforcement sources also told NBC News New York they have an image of the suspect and are working to identify him.
Police recovered a gun, a high capacity magazine, and a backpack containing fireworks and smoke devices from close to the scene of the shooting.
The rented U-Haul van has a license plate AL3140, according to an alert sent out to all NYPD officers.
Earlier, NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said police had not yet identified a suspect or motive, and were not treating the incident as an act of terrorism.
The FBI has joined in the manhunt, warning New Yorkers to stay away from the area as it was an “active shooter incident”.
Police described the suspect as a black male 1.65m (5ft5in) tall, with “heavy build” weighing approximately 81 kgs (180 pounds).
Authorities were called to reports of gunfire and multiple explosions on the Manhattan-bound N/R line at around 8.30am.
It appears as though the attack began at 25th St station, when the masked man threw an explosive device believed to be a smoke canister into the air and began shooting, hitting at least 10 commuters.
As the train arrived at 36th St station in Sunset Park, terrified commuters, some limping from what appear to be gunshot wounds, burst off the train as smoke billowed from the carriage.
Five of the shooting victims were in a critical but stable condition in hospital. At least 28 people were taken to hospital for injuries including smoke inhalation, but none were suffering life threatening injuries, Fox News reported.
Mayor Eric Adams said that while it was premature to assign a motive to the shooting, the incident had brought “terror” to the city.
“Someone attempted to terrorise our system,” Mr Adams told CNN.
“I think at this time, the investigators are going to do their due diligence to properly identify what happened here.”
Graphic images posted to social media show bloodied commuters lying on the ground in the 36th St subway station.
A video posted to Twitter showed terrified commuters getting off a subway car as it pulls into the 25th St station with smoke billowing from the carriage. Several appear overcome with smoke inhalation.
Danny Mastrogiorgio, a Brooklyn resident whose son goes to school near the 36 Street station, told The Independent he had just got off the train when he saw the wounded being led out of the subway.
“I saw people running up the stairs, running down the street. A guy from the MTA came out waving his arms, trying to get the cops to come down.“Eventually a bunch of ambulances pulled up. I saw them take one guy with a leg wound. They had him in the middle of the street there before the ambulance got him.”
Juliana Fonda, a broadcast engineer at WNYC, told the Gothamist she heard shots fired from one car over while riding the N train.
“People were pounding and looking behind them, running, trying to get on to the train,” Ms Fonda said.
“The door locked between cars and the people behind us, there were a lot of loud pops and there was smoke in the other car.”
Another commuter told the news site that 36th St station was filled with smoke as subway riders tried to evacuate.
“There was blood everywhere,” the commuter, who gave her first name Joana, said.
“Everybody’s just running out because they thought they were next.”
Witness Roddy Broke wrote on Twitter: “Either shots or a bomb went off at 36th Street. Scariest moment of my life, man.”
Wounded people were seen emerging from the 36th St and 25th St stations.
Authorities initially warned of unexploded devices at the stations.
Just before 10am, the NYPD said there were “no active explosive devices”. It warned New Yorkers to avoid the area.
The D, N and R lines have been suspended, and there will be severe delays on the B, D and F lines, the MTA said.
President Joe Biden has been briefed on the attack and was in contact with Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD commissioner Keechant Sewell, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.
Fabien Levy, a spokesman for Mr Adams, asked for New Yorkers to stay away from this area for their safety.
