Multiple people were shot on a train platform in Brooklyn, New York City, on Tuesday, with police saying at least 17 were injured. 

The incident took place during the morning rush hour, at the 36th Street station in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, a 15-minute train ride to Manhattan.

"This is not being investigated as an act of terrorism at this time," New York City police commissioner Keechant Sewell said. 

Witnesses described a chaotic scene as the platform filled with smoke and commuters lay on the floor injured, while others rushed to flee the scene.

Authorities said ten people among those injured had been shot. The causes of the other injuries remain unclear.

Police hunt for suspect

Police named a "person of interest," who had rented a U-haul vehicle connected to the shooting. The motive was not clear, but police said they found social media posts related to the person, which mentioned homelessness, and the New York city Mayor Eric Adams.

Sewell said authorities are looking for the suspected gunman. The man is said to have put on a gas mask in the moment when the train was arriving at 36th Street station. 

"He then opened the canister that was in his bag and then the car filled with smoke. After that he began shooting," Sewell said.

Authorities said they found no active explosive devices at the scene, though officials had said earlier that several "undetonated devices" were recovered from the scene.

The man in the gas mask is suspected to have fled the scene and is being sought by police.

Governor Kathy Hochul warned New Yorkers to stay vigilant. "This individual is still on the loose. This person is dangerous,'' Hochul said at news conference.

US President Joe Biden reacted to the incident, paying tribute to the first responders and civilians who "didn't hesitate to help their fellow passengers," and said his team was in close contact with New York officials.

"We're not letting up until we find the perpetrator," Biden said.

A rise in violent attacks

Gun ownership is legal in the US. Gun violence and shooting incidents continue to plague major cities across the country.

Firearms are involved in approximately 40,000 deaths a year, including suicides, according to the Gun Violence Archive website.

Newspaper The New York Times (NYT) reported that the city has been gripped by a spate of violent attacks since pandemic restrictions were lifted. 

Shootings in New York City rose in the first months of 2022 compared to the same period last year, even as homicides declined, NYT reported. There has also been a rise in crimes like burglaries, robberies and grand larcenies.

Officials and the city's mayor Eric Adams have vowed to clamp down on rising criminality.

tg, jcg, ar/fb (AP, Reuters)