According to the New York City Fire Department, at least ten people were shot in a crowded subway car on Tuesday morning, 4th April, injuring about 29 people – when a gunman filled a subway car with smoke before starting to fire.
A suspect wearing a green construction suit and a gas mask fired the shots inside a train car. He opened a canister, a can that gives off steam, before firing the shots.
Social Media, once again, became a channel for dissemination of information in real-time, both by journalists, authorities and people who were on the spot. For example, on Twitter, the hashtag Brooklyn reached the top 3 in Trends Topics in 39 different regions with over 221 thousand tweets worldwide, according to Get Day Trends.
Was it a terrorist attack?
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is working on the case with the New York Police Department (NYPD) in the suspect’s search to reach a further conclusion about the attack’s motivation. However, new York Police said that the case at 36th Street station in Brooklyn is not being investigated as terrorism.
Uber and Lyft are accused of overpricing rides after the attack
Uber and Lyft suspended over-demand pricing on Sunset Park in Brooklyn after users complained and used social media to share screen prints showing the ride prince after the attack.
Both Uber and Lyft appear to implement peak pricing that involves raising prices when demand is high – which happened to many people trying to use the service after the event in the region.
Public figures comment on the attack
Public authorities and celebrities have shared their prayers to all those impacted by the attack on social media, such as Ronna McDaniel, chairman of the Republican National Committee; Leah Remini, American actress and comedian; and Jerrold Lewis Nadler, the U.S. representative for New York’s 10th congressional district.
