Deadpool look-alike gunman kills man on NYC subway platform as terrified tourists flee shooting
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: A man in his 30s was fatally shot on a Midtown Manhattan subway platform on Saturday, October 17, following an argument with another man who fled the scene wearing a red outfit resembling that of Marvel character Deadpool.
The shooting left passengers terrified, with witnesses describing frantic attempts to save the victim and commuters scrambling to escape.
The incident occurred around 12:20 pm on the northbound E train platform at the Seventh Avenue station near 53rd Street.
The victim was rushed to Bellevue Hospital in critical condition but later died. Police have not released his identity, and no arrests have been made.
MIDTOWN SUBWAY HOMICIDE: NYC Police are hunting a gunman after a verbal dispute inside the 53rd Street and 7th Avenue E-train station turned fatal during the Saturday afternoon rush. An argument between two men spilled onto a train and back onto the platform before the suspect pulled a gun and shot the victim in the chest. Witnesses reported hearing five rounds fired as terrified commuters scrambled for cover. The victim, a man in his 30s, died at the hospital. The shooter fled down 7th Avenue. He was last seen wearing a distinct red tracksuit, black vest, and black face mask. Police say the attack was not random.
— Matt Robinson (@mattrobinson) October 17, 2026
Deadpool look-alike suspect flees NYC subway shooting
Police said the suspect shot the victim once in the chest during an argument before fleeing north on Seventh Avenue.
Surveillance images showed the gunman wearing a black mask, a red hooded sweatshirt, a black vest, red pants and a black backpack.
Investigators believe the shooting was not random, but they have yet to determine whether the two men knew each other or were strangers who got into an argument.
Wanted for a Homicide: On Saturday, October 17, 2026, at approximately 12:21 PM, on the northbound E train platform of the 53rd Street–7th Avenue subway station in Manhattan, this individual shot and killed a man in his 30s. The individual then fled on foot, heading northbound on 7th Avenue. If you have information regarding this incident, DM @NYPDTips or call 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) October 17, 2026
A tourist visiting from Washington state said she had just boarded a train with her daughter when she heard five gunshots. Her daughter stepped onto the platform and saw the armed man.
“The doors were still open,” the woman said. “My daughter said, ‘Oh, my God! There's a shooter!’”
The tourist said her daughter looked directly at the gunman, who looked back at her.
“I started praying,” she recalled. “Then people started getting out and walking upstairs, and we ran out to get out of there.”
Her daughter later described the incident as “a New York experience.”
Witnesses recount NYC subway shooting horror
Witnesses described efforts to help the victim after he collapsed on the platform.
Hassen Pinchback, 63, who was visiting New York from Florida for knee surgery, said a woman began performing CPR while another person urged the wounded man to keep fighting.
“You seen a guy just go right down near the bench,” Pinchback said.
He recalled medics using a defibrillator in an attempt to revive the victim. “They shocked him three times,” he said. “They put those electric things on him and never. No response. None at all.”
Paul Sampson, 68, was travelling to a wedding in Brooklyn when the gunfire erupted. He said passengers, including young children, dropped to the floor of the train.
“We just laid on the floor for a while, and one by one we just got up and asked each other if we were OK,” Sampson said.
He praised the officers who responded to the shooting, describing them as “incredible” and saying they remained calm and organized while helping the victim.
Despite the frightening experience, Sampson said he was not afraid to use the subway again. He planned to board at another station to reach the wedding on time.
Midtown subway station reopens after fatal shooting
Police shut down the station for several hours while investigating the shooting. It reopened shortly after 7 pm.
The incident also affected commuters and people working nearby. Gabriel, 30, who was walking on crutches, called the killing a “pointless death” while acknowledging the broader toll of violence across the country.
Food vendor Francia Anabela Acosta, 58, said watching medics carry the victim out and attempt to save him was too upsetting. She moved her peanut cart away from the scene.
“I go over there. It's too much for me,” Acosta said. “It's New York. It's every day, something happen.”
She also recalled seeing a woman crying as the victim received medical attention.
NYC subway murders and felony assaults rise
The shooting comes amid an increase in murders recorded in New York City's transit system this year.
As of October 11, police had recorded six murders in the system, compared with four for all of 2025. The transit system recorded 10 murders in 2024.
The NYPD said 2026 was still the second-safest year for overall transit crime in the past 15 years, excluding the pandemic period.
However, felony assaults in the subway system had risen by nearly 12% through October 11, while overall transit crime was up 1.6%.
