Gunman in Washington subway shooting kills Metro worker, hurts 3 other people, police say

A person shot and killed a transit employee and harm three different folks in Washington, D.C., close to a Metro station throughout Wednesday morning’s commute, police mentioned. A suspect was taken into custody.

In accordance with officers, transit riders helped subdue the suspect.

The incident unfolded round 9 a.m., Metropolitan Police Division Govt Assistant Chief Ashan Benedict mentioned in a news conference. The suspect, who has not been named, was driving a Metro bus and “partaking” different passengers whereas “brandishing” a weapon, Benedict mentioned. He ultimately adopted a passenger off the bus and shot at him, putting him within the legs.

That passenger, Benedict mentioned, has been transported to an space hospital and is being handled for non-life-threatening accidents. 

Subsequent, the suspect went down into the Potomac Avenue Metro station, the place he engaged somebody who Benedict mentioned was making an attempt to purchase a Metro card. One other “altercation” occurred and that particular person was shot within the leg. The suspect introduced that particular person over to a turnstile. Benedict famous that the “intent” of the suspect stays unclear, however sooner or later, the injured man freed himself. He was additionally transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening accidents. 

The suspect went all the way down to the platform, the place he engaged with a girl whereas brandishing his weapon nonetheless, Benedict mentioned. It isn’t clear what occurred subsequent: He tried to “rob, confront or in any other case have an altercation along with her,” Benedict mentioned, drawing the eye of two transit workers.

One worker, recognized by the Washington Metro Space Transit Authority on Wednesday afternoon as 64-year-old Robert Cunningham, tried to “intervene to guard this younger girl,” Benedict mentioned, however was instantly shot. Benedict mentioned that Cunningham, a mechanic within the energy division, was declared useless on the scene. 

“Our ideas and prayers exit to him and his household and the heroic actions that befell right here in the present day,” Benedict mentioned. 

The second worker then engaged the shooter and tried to de-escalate the scenario. 

“I imagine he efficiently (did) so as a result of nobody is shot after this particular person is shot,” Benedict mentioned. The second worker was injured on his hand and can be receiving therapy.

The suspect remained within the station. In accordance with Benedict, he acquired on a prepare and was “strolling round, brandishing a firearm and randomly partaking folks in dialog.” 

“He is clearly agitated about one thing, we’re simply undecided at this level (what),” Benedict mentioned, including that the investigation will goal to “resolve that.” 

In some unspecified time in the future, “different people” within the station tackled the suspect, Benedict mentioned. 

“I want we might have been there quicker. Our officers have been there inside minutes of getting the decision for service, however as a result of heroic actions of our residents, our neighborhood, to disarm this shooter, I can not put a worth on that,” Benedict mentioned. “I feel they saved lives and that is to be recommended, however the truth that our residents must intervene with armed gunmen is disturbing to me. We do the perfect we will each day, our officers are there inside minutes, we acquired the shooter into custody, and now we’ll simply let the investigation go ahead.” 

Benedict mentioned the suspect was nonetheless armed when police arrived on the scene, however later mentioned that his weapon was on the prepare tracks. Benedict additionally mentioned that officers discovered the shooter “on the platform, standing alone” and that “victims and witnesses (had) since moved on.”

The suspect was taken into custody on the platform, Benedict mentioned.

Police acquired a name concerning the incident on the bus round 9:20 a.m., but it surely’s not clear when officers arrived on the Metro station, Benedict mentioned.

Randy Clarke, the overall supervisor and CEO of the Washington Metropolitan Space Transit Authority, advised reporters it was a “brutal day” for the company’s workers and added that the worker who was killed can be “referred to as a hero.” When requested what phrases of reassurance he had for riders who depend on the Metro system, Clarke emphasised the elevated safety the company has added in latest months.

“We’re working very exhausting. We have elevated police patrols 25, 30% within the final six months,” Clarke mentioned. “We have employed psychological well being disaster intervention counselors. We’re putting in extra video and upgrading our video methods … We’ve a gun violence downside in America, and generally sadly that comes into Metro, however this isn’t a Metro-specific security problem, it is an American gun violence problem.” 

The WMATA mentioned in an announcement that Metro flags can be lowered to half-staff “throughout this time of grief.”

Mayor Muriel Bowser mentioned that the capturing emphasizes the necessity to “get weapons out of” Washington, D.C.

“Whether or not it is the Metro, it is the road, it is particular person houses, we all know that we have now weapons which can be creating tragedies in our metropolis and our nation and all of us must be very targeted on that,” Bowser mentioned. “I do know that we are going to work hand in hand with Metro to ensure that our officers are working this investigation and being simply as supportive as potential.”