Topline
A suspect is in custody for the fatal and unprovoked weekend shooting of a Goldman Sachs employee on a New York City subway train, the New York Police Department said on Tuesday, hours after the New York Police Department released a photo of the man.
New York City’s Canal Street subway station.
Key Facts
Videos from NBC New York show suspect Andrew Abdullah, 25, arriving at the NYPD’s 5th Precinct in Lower Manhattan Tuesday afternoon.
The news comes two days after police said the suspect fatally shot 48-year-old Brooklyn resident Daniel Enriquez in the chest on a northbound Q Line train in Manhattan’s Canal Street train station Sunday morning.
A Brooklyn resident, Abdullah has 20 prior arrests, including for assault, robbery, menacing and grand larceny, ABC News reported, citing police sources.
Police also recovered the gun purportedly used in the shooting, after Abdullah allegedly gave it to a homeless man when he fled Canal Street, according to ABC.
The homeless man sold the gun for $10 to someone who reported it to the police, ABC reported.
NBC New York reported earlier Tuesday that Abdullah had failed to show up to an NYPD precinct after a clergy member was supposed to help arrange his surrender to police, leading the department to cancel a press conference to announce the news, though police later confirmed on Twitter the suspect had been detained.
What We Don’t Know
The shooter’s motive is still not apparent, according to ABC.
Key Background
Witnesses of the New York City subway attack said the suspect was pacing back and forth in a train car before shooting Enriquez without provocation at a close range, police said. The suspect then fled the train station. Enriquez was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he died. After the shooting, Enriquez’ family criticized New York City Mayor Eric Adams for crime levels in the city, while Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said the attack was a “senseless tragedy” and called Enriquez a “beloved” member of the company. Abdullah was previously sentenced to three years in prison—and was released in 2019 after serving four months—after being charged with second-degree attempted murder in a case tied to a federal indictment of Harlem street gangs Fast Money and Nine Block, according to ABC.
Tangent
The attack came just weeks after a man opened fire on a Brooklyn subway train, shooting ten people and leaving 29 injured. After a manhunt involving hundreds of officers, the NYPD arrested alleged shooter Frank James, who later pleaded not guilty. He could face life in prison if convicted on terrorism and weapons charges.
Further Reading
New York City subway shooting suspect in custody: Police sources (ABC News)
Man Wanted in Random Subway Killing in Custody After Confusion Over Surrender: Sources (NBC New York)
Suspect in fatal NYC subway shooting of Goldman Sachs employee is in custody (NBC News)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/madelinehalpert/2022/05/24/suspect-in-nyc-subway-shooting-reportedly-in-custody-for-fatal-shooting-of-goldman-sachs-employee/