NYPD releases photos of man wanted in fatal Midtown subway platform shooting; no arrest yet

As of 4:22 p.m. ET, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026

A man was shot and killed on the northbound E train platform at the Seventh Avenue–53rd Street subway station in Midtown Manhattan at about 12:21 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 17, the NYPD said. Police have released photos of the man they say shot him, and no arrest had been announced as of 4:22 p.m. ET.

"This individual shot and killed a man in his 30s," the NYPD said in a "Wanted for a Homicide" post on X at 3:35 p.m. ET. Police said the gunman fled on foot, heading north on Seventh Avenue.

What police said

The NYPD said "an unidentified individual approached an unidentified male" on the platform, "displayed a firearm and discharged it, striking the victim once in the chest," NBC New York reported. The man was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival just after 1 p.m. ET, police said, according to Gothamist.

Police are withholding the victim's name until his family has been notified, CBS New York reported. No suspect has been named.

The suspect "was last seen wearing a red tracksuit, a black vest and a black face mask, and carrying a backpack," police said, according to NBC New York. Police asked anyone with information to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) in Spanish.

Police said at a news conference that two men got into a dispute on the platform that spilled onto a train that had pulled into the station and then back onto the platform, CBS New York reported. Police said it was unclear whether the shots were fired on the platform or on the train, and no weapon was recovered at the scene, according to CBS New York. MTA Chief Security Officer Michael Kemper described it differently, saying, "This was evidently a dispute between three individuals that ended tragically". Gothamist reported that police said it was unclear whether the victim knew his killer.

"The perpetrators will be caught and should face maximum consequences from the justice system. It is fortunate nobody outside the fight was hurt," Kemper said. The MTA said it was working with the NYPD to retrieve video from cameras on the platform and train cars.

A woman who had just boarded the train with her mother told CBS New York she heard a shot, then "a mass exodus," and then "at least probably three more" shots.

Service impact

As of its latest update at 3:33 p.m. ET, the MTA said C, D and E trains were still disrupted in Manhattan in both directions while the NYPD investigated at Seventh Avenue, with delays on the A, C, D, E and F lines. The MTA said:

• E trains were rerouted via the F line between West Fourth Street–Washington Square and Fifth Avenue/53rd Street in both directions.
• Most uptown D trains were ending at West Fourth Street or 34th Street–Herald Square, with some rerouted via the C line to 59th Street–Columbus Circle. Downtown D trains were running via the C and F lines to Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue.
• C trains were running regular service between West Fourth Street and 59th Street–Columbus Circle, with some uptown C trains rerouted via the F line from Jay Street–MetroTech.

The MTA suggested riders use nearby 1, 2, 3, N, Q and R trains. No full restoration had been announced as of 4:22 p.m. ET. New York City Emergency Management told people at 1 p.m. ET to avoid the area around Seventh Avenue and West 53rd Street.

Why it matters

The killing happened on a Saturday afternoon at a busy Midtown station, and the gunman remains at large, police said. As of Oct. 11, four people had been shot in the transit system this year, up from two over the same period in 2025, according to NYPD statistics cited by Gothamist.