Man Fatally Shot on NYC Subway Identified as Security Guard
Darell Rodriguez, 26, was en route home from work when he was killed in a targeted attack on a Midtown platform.
A 26-year-old man fatally shot on a New York City subway platform over the weekend has been identified as Darell Rodriguez, a security guard who was heading home from his job.
Rodriguez was shot once in the chest around 12:20 p.m. on Saturday at the 53rd Street/7th Avenue subway station in Midtown Manhattan, according to the New York Police Department. The unidentified assailant fled the scene and remains at large.
Police sources indicated that Rodriguez, who had no prior criminal record, was waiting for a northbound E train to his home in the Bronx when the shooter approached him, displayed a firearm, and fired.
According to NYPD Deputy Chief Keith Shine, a dispute occurred between Rodriguez and the gunman on the platform, though the specifics of the altercation are unclear. The shooter was last seen fleeing the station and heading north on 7th Avenue. He was described as wearing a red tracksuit, a black vest, a face mask, and carrying a backpack.
Authorities emphasized that the shooting was targeted, though it is not yet known if the perpetrator knew his victim.
Rodriguez was transported to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 1:00 p.m.
The incident marks the seventh murder to occur within the New York City transit system this year and the fourth shooting death. This is an increase from two gun deaths during the same period in the previous year, according to NYPD statistics.