An 18-year-old woman was shot in the chest late Sunday on the downtown No. 2 train platform at the President Street–Medgar Evers College station in Crown Heights, after what police say started as a simple purse grab and turned into gunfire. Officers say the suspect tried to rip away her bag around 11:45 p.m., a struggle broke out, and a single shot rang out before the gunman bolted from the station. Police rushed the wounded teen to NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County, where she was stabilized, and 2 train service was briefly halted while investigators combed the platform.
Police: Purse Snatching Turned Shooting
According to police, the confrontation began when the suspect yanked at the victim’s purse. As the two struggled, the suspect allegedly pulled a gun and fired one round, striking her in the chest. Investigators later recovered a bullet fragment on the platform and found the discarded purse in front of 1762 Pacific Street. The gunman took off on foot and was described as wearing a red Yankee hat with a white logo, black shorts, black sneakers, a black face mask and carrying a backpack, as reported by ABC7 New York.
Victim Rushed to Kings County Hospital
Officers loaded the injured teen into a police cruiser and sped her to NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County at 451 Clarkson Avenue. The hospital operates a designated Level 1 trauma center and regularly handles high-acuity emergencies for Brooklyn, according to its website (NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County).
Transit Safety Questions in Crown Heights
The shooting is fueling fresh anxiety about safety along the 2 line and at the President Street station, which has already seen its share of alarming incidents. In March, a subway manhunt after an alleged flasher targeted a teen at the same stop drew heavy police presence. A separate investigation by News 12 has also highlighted riders’ concerns about the 2 train’s safety and a recent uptick in transit-related arrests.
What Police Are Asking
The shooter remains on the loose, and detectives are asking anyone who may have witnessed the incident or captured it on video to come forward. Authorities, as cited in ABC7’s account, are circulating the suspect’s description and urging tipsters to contact NYPD Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS or submit information online. Federal and local agencies routinely point to that hotline as a primary channel for public leads (ATF).
