Multiple people have been shot in a New York subway after a gunman wearing a gas mask detonated smoke bombs and fired into crowds of terrified commuters.
A manhunt has been launched for the shooter who wounded 16 people in the horror attack during the city's rush hour at 8.30am.
According to the NYPD, the assailant put on a gas mask before setting off a smoke bomb in the train carriage at 36th Street station in Brooklyn's Sunset Park neighbourhood.
He then opened fire as the train filled with smoke and doors closed, trapping people inside.
Authorities believe it was a premeditated attack, the Mirror reports.
Horrifying footage showed a smoke-filled platform as panicked commuters flee from the train after a man falls through the train doors and collapses on the ground.
Smoke billowed out as the train car pulled into the 36th Street station and opened its doors.
Riders trapped inside poured out, some falling to the ground. Images showed streaks of blood on the platform.
There are also reports of an explosion nearby with explosive devices also believed to have been found at the scene of carnage.
At a press conference at around 5.15pm UK time, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said the suspect was still on the loose and was believed to have fled on foot.
New York City's police commissioner Keechant Sewell said at the press conference the shooting was not being investigated as an act of terrorism.
"This morning, as a Manhattan-bound N train waited to enter the 36th station, an individual on that train donned what appeared to be a gas mask, he then took a canister out of his bag and opened it," Sewell told the press conference.
"The train at that time began to fill with smoke. He then opened fire, striking multiple people on the subway and in the platform," she added.
The suspect was reported as a Black male with a heavy build, wearing a green construction-type vest and a hooded sweatshirt, Sewell said. Earlier reports stated he may have been wearing an orange worker's outfit.
Ten people were shot in the incident, Sewell said, but none of the wounded people were thought to have life-threatening injuries.
Dramatic video captures the moment commuters fled for their lives after the train stopped and the doors swung open.
While horrific images from the scene show bloodied and wounded commuters being tended to on the subway platform.
Other graphic photos include bloodied commuters strewn around the scene, walking wounded victims looking daze and confused with some wearing one shoe.
Outside the station, in an area known for its thriving Chinatown and views of the Statue of Liberty, authorities shut down a dozen or so blocks and closed off the immediate area with yellow crime scene tape.
Tacho Ramos, who was working in a deli near the station, said he initially thought a fight had broken out on the train when he noticed a commotion.
"But then I saw all the police. ... This country is like that. It's crazy. Today it's New York, tomorrow it's Washington, then it's Chicago," he said.
Juliana Fonda, a broadcast engineer at radio station WNYC, told local news website Gothamist that she heard shots while in an adjoining subway car.
She said: "The reaction of the passengers was terrifying because they were trying to get into our car away from something that was happening in the back of the train.
"None of us in the front of the train knew what was going on, but people were pounding and looking behind them, running, trying to get onto the train."
She added that she heard "a lot of loud pops" and that there was smoke in another train car.
Konrad Aderer, a commuter, was in the stairwell about to enter the 36th Street station when he saw a man with bleeding legs explaining what had happened to a worker at the station booth.
"He just said that there was a lot of people bleeding," Aderer told Fox News in a phone interview.
"He took it upon himself to make sure that people were alerted, despite being injured."
Witness Roddy Broke tweeted: “Either shots or a bomb went off at 36th Street. Scariest moment of my life, man.”
Other witnesses reported seeing wounded people, all adults, pouring out of the 36th Street and the 25th Street stations.
Conrad Aderer said: “I was heading into 36th Street Station in Brooklyn when a young guy who was bleeding from the legs said people were injured and bleeding."
CNN reports 13 commuters have been hurt with five of them shot.
An NYPD spokesman could only confirm that a shooting had taken place and that no one was in custody.
"Originally, the call came in as smoke in the subway station. Upon arrival, officers found multiple people shot and undetonated devices.
"Thirteen people are injured. This remains an active scene," an FDNY spokesman said.
New York Police Department said a manhunt is underway to find the shooter who has been described as a black man around 5ft 5 tall and weighing 175 to 180 pounds.
A security expert told CBS New York the gunman needs to be caught quickly.
They said: “This is somebody who, if they are not stopped right away, could do something as drastic as what we’ve seen not long ago” at 36th street station.
Clair, who witnessed the shooting while riding a train at the subway, told New York Post there were so many rounds fired off she “lost count.”
“There was like, lots of them. I don’t even know how many,” she said.
New York Senator Kevin Parker said: "Terrifying report out of Sunset Park. We have to move New York forward and break this cycle of gun violence. Hoping everyone will be ok."
Chi Osse, New York City Council Member for Brooklyn, said: "Horrifying news to hear this morning. Praying for the safety and recovery for our neighbors in Sunset Park. This madness must end."
The Office of New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams said: "Our office is monitoring the information coming from Sunset Park, and praying for the New Yorkers who have been shot in this horrific act of gun violence."
New York Police Department has urged people to stay away from the area.
The police department tweeted: "In regard to the multiple people shot at the 36th Street subway station in Brooklyn, there are NO active explosive devices at this time. Any witnesses are asked to call @NYPDTips at #800577TIPS. Please stay clear of the area. More provided information when available."
Fabian Levy, spokesman for New York's Mayor Eric Adams, tweeted: "@NYCMayor continues to be briefed on the situation. While we gather more information, we ask New Yorkers to stay away from this area for their safety and so that first responders can help those in need and investigate."
Power was switched off in the area and local schools placed on lockdown while the city's empty subway tunnels are being searched for the gunman.
There is heavy police presence around the subway station, including heavily armed officers and dozens of police cruisers and emergency vehicles and an amber alert has been issued across New York City.
In recent months New York has experienced a rise in gun violence in general and a spate of attacks in the city's transit system, one of the world's oldest and most extensive.
The incident is the latest in a growing number of attacks in New York, which is suffering an epidemic of violence and crime following Covid lockdowns.
Shootings in the city have risen this year, and the uptick in violent gun crime has been a central focus for new Mayor Eric Adams since he took office in January.
Through April 3, shooting incidents rose to 296 from 260 during the same period last year, according to Police Department statistics.
The increase comes after gun violence hit historic lows in 2018 and 2019.
President Joe Biden and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland were briefed on the latest developments in the shooting, the White House and the Department of Justice said. White House staff were in touch with New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the police commissioner to offer any assistance.
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