This weekend’s subway shooting comes just three months after Mayor Adams’ subway safety plan took effect. Jessica Cunnington reports.
A cold-blooded killer remained on the loose Tuesday, nearly 48 hours after allegedly murdering a 48-year-old Goldman Sachs employee on his way to Sunday brunch in an apparently unprovoked shooting aboard a Q train on the Manhattan Bridge.
Multiple law enforcement sources identified the suspected Q train shooter as Andrew Abdullah, who has 11 prior arrests and an open gun case in Harlem and is wanted for murder in the Sunday death of Daniel Enriquez. Investigators believe Abdullah is in his 20s, and sources say they have probable cause to arrest him for Enriquez's murder.
The NYPD shared wanted posters of the suspect a day ago in hopes the public's assistance could expedite an arrest in what they describe as a disturbing case.
They also say MTA surveillance footage of the shooter in the station will be critical in tracking him down. And cameras have already turned up some leads.
Police sources say the suspect was seen handing the alleged murder weapon off to a homeless man outside the subway station as he fled. Cops questioned the man, who said he does not know the shooter and was randomly handed the gun.
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Abdullah's whereabouts remain unclear. Police said he was last seen wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt, grey sweatpants and white sneakers.
Anyone with information on him is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
Abdullah is wanted for murdering Enriquez. Witnesses told police the suspect paced back and forth in the train's last car before taking out the gun and opening fire "without provocation" on the northbound Q train as it passed over the bridge around 11:45 a.m.
Enriquez was shot at close range by the suspect. He was found wounded in the torso and pronounced dead at a hospital.
There'd been no prior contact between the two men, police say witnesses told them.
Latest Subway Killing Rattles NYC Anew
Enriquez, a guitar player who spoke multiple languages, lived on St. John's Place and worked for Goldman Sachs in its research division. The company described him as a "dedicated and beloved" colleague.
"We are devastated by this senseless tragedy and our deepest sympathies are with Dan’s family at this difficult time," Goldman CEO David Solomon said in a statement.
Enriquez lived in Park Slope for 18 years with his partner Adam Pollock, who told the Daily Mail Enriquez never took the train, but wanted to avoid surging ride-share prices.
"I don't know why I didn't fight him on that. I just didn't want to fight with him, you know," Pollock told the Daily Mail.
Sunday's random shooting marked the latest in a series of such violent attacks. And New Yorkers are more than on edge.
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A man opened fire inside a Brooklyn subway train during a morning rush last month, wounding 10 people. The alleged shooter faces terrorism and other charges. In January, a woman was pushed to her death in front of a subway train by a stranger.
There have been hammer attacks. And shoves. And far too much crime, many say.
MTA CEO and Chairman Janno Lieber acknowledged as much on Monday.
"New Yorkers are tough and they demonstrated again and again during the pandemic that they’re trying to resume their normal lives but they can't resume normal life if just getting around is frightening," Lieber said. "For so many New Yorkers, the transit system is the only way to get around and to live their normal lives. You can't do that if you're scared to get up and go to brunch and most New York activities on a Sunday, for fear of being attacked."
Lieber said the Q is the line he has ridden for 25 years and the train he and his kids use most regularly. They're all in college now, Lieber said, but come home from Manhattan in the early morning hours, around midnight, 1 a.m.
"It's always felt safe," Lieber said, calling the route iconic. "Brooklynites know that when you come out of the DeKalb tunnel onto the Manhattan Bridge, you see the city's skyline. It's the way New Yorkers get a little dose about what's inspirational about this city -- that view."
"Now, for a while, that's not going to be the same knowing that a great New Yorker, Daniel Enriquez, lost his life yesterday in a random and cold-blooded act of violence," he added. "Our hearts go out to his family, his sister, everybody in his family. Our hearts go out to all New Yorkers who are feeling terrified at this moment."
The shooting comes as the MTA enjoys upticks in ridership unseen since the start of the pandemic. MTA officials called the latest violence a setback for their recovery.
And they're asking for the public's help finding the suspect.
"There is someone who knows this person, from his clothing, from his pattern … there's a wanted poster out there and they always say call the tips line," Lieber said. "If you know anything about this person who appears to have committed this terrible crime, help the police and help New York."
