MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) — A man suspected of fatally shooting a subway rider in Manhattan over the weekend was taken into NYPD custody on Tuesday.
Andrew Abdullah, 25, was wanted in connection to the deadly Q train shooting on Sunday. Less than three hours after his picture was released to the public, Abdullah “knew he had no where to run,” NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said.
He is charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon.
Abdullah was “well known” to law enforcement, Sewell said. His previous arrests include ones for assault and attempted murder. He also has an open gun charge. Sources told PIX11 News the suspected shooter has over two dozen arrests on his rap sheet dating back to 2016.
“This horrific crime should never have happened,” Sewell said about Sunday’s shooting.
The victim, 48-year-old Daniel Enriquez, was riding the Q train near the Canal Street subway station when he was shot around 11:40 a.m. on Sunday, police said. Enriquez was on a trip to brunch with friends when he was killed in what police described as an unprovoked shooting.
Witnesses said the alleged gunman was pacing and “muttering” before the shooting. The only distinguishable words were “no phones,” according to NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig.
After running out of the station, Abdullah allegedly handed the gun to a homeless man. That man was later interviewed by police and the gun was recovered. Essig said it had been stolen from Hampton, Virginia.
Mayor Eric Adams couldn’t understand why Abdullah was out on the streets. Adams said Abdullah only got 30 months for attempted murder.
“He is the poster child of many people who believe they can create violence,” Adams said.
The brazen shooting was the latest in a series of violent crimes inside the city’s subway system, sparking concern from straphangers. Mayor Eric Adams announced on Monday that he’s working with the Port Authority to have scanners in the subway system in order for guns to be detected.