Man fatally shot after dispute on Manhattan subway platform

A man was shot and killed on the E train platform at the Seventh Avenue and West 53rd Street station in Midtown Manhattan on Saturday, October 17, 2026, around 12:20 p.m.

Police say the fatal shooting followed a dispute involving two or three men on the platform. Emergency responders found the victim with a gunshot wound to the chest and rushed him to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The victim was identified as Darell Rodriguez, a 26‑year‑old Bronx native who worked as a security guard in Manhattan. A family photograph shows Rodriguez smiling with his twin brother Derick and brother Gabriel before the tragedy.

Derick Rodriguez told The New York Times that the loss feels like a “black hole” in his heart. He described the shock of learning his brother had been killed after receiving no response to a text message the night before, and the subsequent phone calls that confirmed the fatal altercation.

Police have not reported any arrests and continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting. A suspect description has been released: a person wearing a red hoodie and a black face mask. Authorities are asking New Yorkers to help identify the individual.

Subway service was disrupted after the incident, with trains that normally serve the station bypassing the area while police worked at the scene. Commuters traveling through Midtown experienced delays as a result.

The shooting underscores longstanding concerns about safety on the New York City subway system, prompting calls for increased security measures and community vigilance.

Police remain on the lookout for the masked assailant and are urging anyone with information to contact the NYPD, emphasizing that public assistance could be critical to solving the case.