Harrowing footage shows a violent confrontation between two men on a subway car in Brooklyn and the utter panic among commuters after one of the brawlers was shot dead on a train during rush hour on Thursday. It was captured.
The video, taken by a commuter on the northbound A train, confirms earlier witness accounts shared by police that at least four shots were fired inside the crowded train as it entered the air-conditioned Hoyt-Schermerhorn Street station. One man was seen inciting another man before gunshots rang out.
Police said the instigator, 36, was shot with his own gun, but the other man, 32, managed to grab the gun and open fire.
But before the shooting, the two strangers argued for several minutes as other passengers on the train noticed a child on board and begged them to stop.
Video obtained by the newspaper shows a 36-year-old man wearing a black sweatshirt and yellow baseball cap yelling, “I’m going to punch you!” in the man’s face.
“Fuck you people. Fuck your race. Fuck you,” the instigator shouted, hurling threats at the men and urging them to stand up for themselves.
The 32-year-old man, wearing a yellow shirt and black jacket, tried to ignore the persistent threats but was beaten for nearly two minutes before he finally jumped out of the back seat of the car and raised his fist.
The attacker then yelled, “Let’s get him!”
Commuters sitting nearby jumped from their seats and moved away from the men, trying to ignore the violent abuse.
The two danced around each other, occasionally throwing fists, as the straphanger begged them to stop.
“Look, there’s a baby here!” one woman can be heard pleading.
The assailant then attacked the victim, forcing him onto a loveseat and striking him several times.
A young woman then intervened and punched the 36-year-old man in the back, who immediately turned his anger on her.
A man wearing a reflective vest succeeded in separating the two thugs, but the young man hurriedly stood in front of the young woman.
“There’s blood. You stabbed me, right?” the assailant asked the woman as blood was visibly starting to drip down her back.
“I’m not doing anything,” the young woman retorted.
The 36-year-old then threw his jacket onto the seat and began slowly rummaging through his pockets while shouting at the woman.
Seconds later, he pulled out his gun, cocked it and charged at the 32-year-old man.
Screams rang out from inside the crowded train, and people in slings rushed to the other side of the train, and several threw themselves to the ground.
The rest of the battle was not filmed, but at least four distinct gunshots could be heard just as the train entered the air-conditioned Hoyt Schermerhorn Street station. The station is home to the New York City Police Department’s 30th Transportation Branch.
The woman who was filming the video frantically yelled, “Let me out!” Seconds before the doors opened, panicked commuters rushed onto the platform and ran straight out of the station and onto the street.
Police said a 32-year-old man confronted the screaming man and during the scuffle he snatched a gun and used it against his attacker.
Kemper said he was arrested before he could get to the platform.
The 36-year-old man was taken to Brooklyn Methodist Hospital in critical condition and is undergoing surgery.
When police arrived, the station’s subway car was “covered in blood and ballistics,” officials said.
A small-caliber firearm was recovered from the scene.
It is unclear whether the gunman will face any charges, and police say “the victim appears to be the assailant.”
