Police seek suspect who fatally shot man on subway train in Crown Heights
CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn (WABC) -- The 45-year-old Brooklyn man fatally shot on a subway train Sunday night is believed to have been killed after intervening in a dispute over loud music, fellow passengers told detectives.
Officials say Richard Henderson was shot in the back and shoulder on Sunday just before 8:30 p.m. He was riding a Manhattan-bound No. 3 train approaching the Franklin Ave-Medgar Evers College station.
Detectives are being told that Henderson was attempting to break up the argument between two fellow passengers over loud music.
Police say Henderson may not have even been the intended target, the gunman may have been firing in the direction of the man he was arguing with, striking Henderson instead.
"If you get involved yourself, you're taking a risk. You know, you never know what people are going to do these days," subway rider Roger Creighton said.
Detectives believe the gunman escaped before the train pulled into the Franklin Avenue stop along Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights.
The victim was found inside a subway car at the station and was taken to Kings County Hospital where he died. Detectives believe he may have been shot six stops away from where he was found.
"Everywhere you go some random terrible thing. We just have to learn to live with it. Would be nice if we had better gun control but that's going to take big shift in politics and that's not about to happen," said Professor Jeff Spinner-Halevim.
No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.
Henderson lived at building a short distance away from the Franklin Avenue stop.
His neighbor described the married father of three as a "people's person."
"He was a people's person. He was very friendly. He always wanted to do good things. He always tried to solve a problem," she told Eyewitness News. "And for this to happen, it just hurts."
Henderson's death marks the first homicide in the subway system of 2024.
The MTA released the following statement:
"Our hearts go out to the family of Richard Henderson who was shot on a 3 train as he was making his way home Sunday night. This is another sad reminder that gun violence has no place in this city. The MTA is cooperating fully with the investigation to ensure the perpetrator can be brought to justice."
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