1:04 PM – Appears Live on CNN Newsroom
Alisyn Camerota: I want to bring in the Mayor of New York City Eric Adams. Mr. Mayor, thank you so much for joining me. I know you were not at that press conference because you are in isolation because you currently have COVID. I'm glad to see that you are well enough to come on. And I know that you are in touch with officials. What more can you us about, first and foremost, the manhunt underway to get this suspect?
Mayor Eric Adams: We have a professional team of law enforcement experts here in New York City. And I spoke with the governor and the White House this morning, and there's going to be a collaboration of efforts and information sharing so we could apprehend the person who's responsible. This was a senseless act of violence that was inflicted on our passengers in our subway system, and details are still unfolding and we're going to release the details as they come forward.
Camerota: So there is a sense in just listening to our law enforcement experts in the way that your colleagues spoke, that perhaps that you have a sense of who this is. Is that true? Is that accurate? Do you have a sense of who this suspect is?
Mayor Adams: No we do not. This is still preliminary, and there's a preliminary investigation taking place and we don't want to give out any misinformation. We want to be extremely thorough and thoughtful on information we give out. We do not have a positive ID at this time.
Camerota: Can you give us an update on the victims? So we understand that it seems miraculous that none at this point, none of the victims is facing life-threatening wounds, but can you give us an update on their status?
Mayor Adams: Yes. And as you mentioned earlier, a total of 16 people, 10 of them we believe were inflicted with gunshot wounds. And I think that when you look at how miraculous this is, you have to really point to the passengers and the transit authority officials. They responded with a level of just care for their fellow New Yorkers and our first responders at that neighboring hospital immediately kicked into gear and just provided the necessary care. I believe lives were saved based on the actions that we witnessed on some of the amateur video that was released. You saw passengers coming to the aid of each other, and I just cannot thank New Yorkers enough for how we responded.
Camerota: We were told that this is not considered an act of terrorism at this point. How can you be so sure?
Mayor Adams: I think it's still preliminary, it's a preliminary investigation. This is terror of someone attempted to terrorize our system. They brought in what appears to be some form of smoke device. They discharged a weapon. And so I don't want to be premature in identifying if this was or was not. I think at this time the investigators are going to do their due diligence to properly identify what happened here. And so I think at this time it's premature to state exactly what happened here, it's still new. We're still unfolding the investigation, but we will come to the source of what happened and we will apprehend the person that's responsible.
Camerota : So as not only a mayor, but as a 20-plus-year veteran of the NYPD, what is your message to New Yorkers as they are particularly in that area, but maybe even more broadly, as they're going about their day and there is an active shooter and a manhunt underway, what should they be looking for? How should they be conducting their day-to-day?
Mayor Adams: And there's another layer to that, I was a former transit police officer. I know what it is to go through an emergency situation in the transit system, to experience the actual removal of passengers. I know how much you need the coordination of everyday New Yorkers. And I saw that on some of the amateur video.
Mayor Adams: I would say to New Yorkers, we're going to hold the day tour of the transit police officers to double the number of officers that are traditionally patrolling the system. We're going to make sure that we actively and aggressively identify the person and go after the person who was responsible. And then we're asking New Yorkers if they see something, please say something, and also do something by calling your local officials. Together we are going to navigate this crisis that hit our subway system. And we're going to find the person that's responsible.
Camerota: Mr. Mayor, as you know, this is unfortunately not an isolated incident. This is an extreme example, and it is a very active situation. You were inaugurated at the end of... Really New Year's Eve you were inaugurated, so you've been in office since the beginning of 2022; since the beginning of 2022, Mr. Mayor, there have been 375 transit crimes. That's a jump of nearly 73% in that area since 2021. And the city recorded 41%, a 41% increase in overall major crime through the first few months of 2022. And those stats are really up until March, they might be even higher now. Why is this still happening, particularly given as you well know, and our viewers know, you campaigned as somebody who is going to stop this?
Mayor Adams: The goal is we have put in place major initiatives to deal with some of the systemic and historical problems we have had around [inaudible] the crimes, not only in New York City, what you're witnessing, this level of violence throughout our entire country.
Mayor Adams: And we are laying the foundation, everything from our transit initiatives to our anti-gun unit, to really informing the public how to use the system in a safe way. We know that there's a real challenge of many of the people who are on our streets that are participating in dangerous acts. They have had a bottleneck in our court system. They are not serving their time in prison like they should be.
Mayor Adams: We've witnessed what I call a revolving door criminal justice system, which many people who I've known to participate in criminal actions are still on our streets. And so it's a combined effort. And we are going to continue to do our part.
Mayor Adams: The New York City Police Department has removed over 1,800 guns off the streets of the city of New York. 10% of them were ghost guns. This is a real herculean task that our Police Department has responded to every day. As I stated over and over again, there are many rivers that feed the sea of violence in our city and in our country, we have to dam each one of them. And some of that dam is going to come from assistance from the lawmakers throughout our state and country.
Camerota: No question it is systemic, and you just named just some of the problems that lead to violence. And you are only what, a little more than four months into your tenure? So that's understandable, but I'm sure there are people in New York who say, "Wait a minute, I voted for a former cop to try to stop this, and it seems to be getting worse." What's your message to them?
Mayor Adams: New Yorkers know every day I wake up to protect the city, and they have trust in me as their mayor. And I have trust in the professionals that are carrying out the job of ensuring that our city is safe. And they're doing that every day. They're putting their lives on the line to remove dangerous people off our streets, and dangerous weapons off our streets.
Mayor Adams: And we know we're going to get crime under control. And the problems we're facing is a problem that is hitting our entire nation right now. And that is why this is a national response; we need a national response to this issue.
Mayor Adams: We're going to do our job every day. As I indicated, 1,800 guns, think about that in New York City. That's, when you think about it, only three-and-a-half months, removing 1,800 guns, we're going to continue to do our job, but there is some assistance that's going to be needed in our city, such as empowering ATF, bring in the ATF leader as the president announced yesterday, making ghost guns illegal; there's so many things that we could do to assist the cities across America, particularly New York City, to make sure that we are a safe place for our residents.
Camerota: Okay, and last question before I let you go, for New Yorkers out there thinking, "I need to get on the subway to get home, I need to get on the subway to do my job, to pick up my kids." Is it a safe place for them right now?
Mayor Adams: Yes, it is. And I ride the subway often to send that message. I'm in the subway system, 3:00, 4:00 AM in the morning to make sure our officers and those who are responsible for keeping it safe, they're doing their job.
Mayor Adams: I'm going to lead this battle from the front. And I say to New Yorkers, we're going to find the person that's responsible, and we cannot allow a terror to terrorize us that we don't continue to function as a city.
Mayor Adams: New York has gone through a lot, from the 9/11 attacks, second time attack on the Trade Center, to those who wanted to commit terrorism in our city, and to those who do things that want to terrorize us. We don't know what is the source of this incident yet, but I call on New Yorkers to continue to be as resilient as we have often been.
Camerota: Mayor Eric Adams, I heard that cough at the end there. I understand obviously you have COVID as we speak, you are in isolation... Thank you for joining us, and I obviously hope that you are doing well physically and that you recover soon.
Mayor Adams: Thank you very much.
2:06 PM – Appears Live on NY1
Anthony Pascale: All right, we are joined now by Mayor Eric Adams, who is joining us from Gracie Mansion. Mayor Adams, it's Anthony Pascale, alongside Ruschell Boone and Dean Meminger. Thanks so much for joining us.
Pascale: I want to ask you, when you look at that video and you see the sheer panic, the sheer chaos on board that train this morning, as mayor, I can imagine you find it disturbing. What can you do today to make the people of New York City feel safer?
Mayor Eric Adams: Exactly what we are doing right now. We are coordinating with the FDNY, NYPD Emergency Management Team. I was on the phone this morning with the White House, as well as I communicated with the governor. We have some of the best law enforcement entities and agencies in the country right here in this tri-state area. I communicated with the governor of New Jersey, and we are going to apprehend the person that's responsible for this incident.
Mayor Adams: We're saying, New Yorkers, be vigilant. This is what we do. You see something, say something and report what you observe. Then let's take our hats off to those New Yorkers. I saw the video, the amateur video that was posted. New Yorkers responded. They helped each other. Those who were injured, New Yorkers responded. Our first responders and our local hospitals responded appropriately. We are going to remain vigilant and catch this person that's responsible.
Ruschell Boone: Mayor, this is Ruschell Boone. This is clearly creating another challenge for you. It's been a tough go with the crime in this city and the shootings in this city. You've been trying to turn it around, but where do we go from here? How do we reassure New Yorkers, not that we just feel safe, but it is safe going forward?
Mayor Adams: Well, I think that this really elevates the conversation that I have been stating for some time. There are many rivers that feed this sea of violence, and that is why I have been vigilant speaking with all of my lawmakers throughout the entire country. Because what you're seeing playing out on the stage of New York City is actually the drama and the crisis that's playing out across our countries, over-proliferation of guns.
Mayor Adams: The president made an important announcement yesterday of bringing on the head of the ATF. We know the need to support information sharing. We know that we have a problem with ghost guns. This is a real crisis for America, and it's spilling out in the streets of New York City. That is why I'm going to continue to remain vigilant and stating that it's the collaborative effort that we must come together to deal with this crisis that we are experiencing.
Pascale: Mayor, in terms of the situation that happened this morning, is there anything you can tell us new this hour as to where police are in their investigation? Are they any closer to finding the person who did this?
Mayor Adams: This is a very sensitive moment, and we want to continue to keep those tips close to our vest to make sure that we're not tipping off the person we're trying to locate. The commissioner has updated me. We have been speaking just about every few minutes to get whatever new information that has arrived that's coming in. We are going to find the person that's responsible for this.
Mayor Adams: What we're calling for New Yorkers to do now, go to the MTA website to find out about services for children and parents, communicate with their schools directly. We're going to have an increase in personnel in the subway system. We're keeping the day tours for the subway system as well. We just want New Yorkers, they have any information, to really call the tip hotline to assist us in this investigation.
Dean Meminger: Mr. Mayor, I know you don't want to give us too much information, but are you calling this an act of terrorism? We know the police commissioner said it wasn't. But then she said, you know what? She's leaving everything on the table because someone shoots up a train, no matter what the motive, some people are saying it's terrorism. Others are saying it is not. How do you classify it?
Mayor Adams: I believe the commissioner was clearly making sure that we give real information. Sometimes these investigations are early, and we don't want to give misinformation. We want to be as thorough as possible.
Mayor Adams: We know someone terrorized our system. That is what we know. We know someone used a smoke device. Someone discharged a weapon. Someone appeared to have a planned approach to terrorize our system.
Mayor Adams: Getting to the source of why he did what he did, that is something that's going to come out after this investigation is completed. We're taking nothing off the table. We need to apprehend the person, dig into their background, and get the details to give the proper classification. Right now, we have a person out there that we are going to find and bring him to justice for the act that he committed on New Yorkers.
Boone: Mr. Mayor, I have a question for you for the parents of this city who are concerned about their children in the schools that are now locked down in that area. It's about dismissal time for many of those schools, and they still don't know how to get their children home with them.
Mayor Adams: They could communicate directly with the schools to find out that information. I want to take my hat off to the chancellor and all of our schools in the area. There was a lockdown of all of our schools. Five still remain locked down, and that's probably going to lift. But it's the smart, right thing to do to have a safe haven for our students. The Department of Education responded exactly the way they should have responded in that area to make sure that none of our children were hurt.
Mayor Adams: You saw the complete coordination of New Yorkers, from civilians, to the hospitals, to the first responders, to our educators. We've lived through crisis before, everything from September 11th to other terrorist attacks on our city. We know how to respond during the time of crisis and New Yorkers did just that.
Pascale: Mayor, I also want to ask you about the other big story of the day, and that is the arrest of Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin, who was indicted on campaign financing issues. I want to ask first your reaction. I know that you've had a strong relationship with the governor's office over the last several months. What's your immediate reaction to that news?
Mayor Adams: Well, I think the process has to play itself out. I don't respond to these active investigations. I think the US Attorney and Lieutenant Governor Benjamin, the process is going to have to play itself out. I don't in any way want to respond to something as active as an active investigation.
Pascale: Let's talk then again about the investigation that's going on right now in regards to the shooting. I'm trying to read between the lines in how you answered the last question about where police are in finding the suspect here. Can you at least say if police are any closer to finding the person responsible for this morning's incident than they were, say, a couple hours ago?
Mayor Adams: The only closeness that's important to me is to have this person in handcuffs and behind bars for harming innocent New Yorkers. That's the closeness that I want to focus on. I notice the Police Department, I know the federal agencies that are involved, I know we're going to find this person, and we're going to coordinate to ensure that he's captured
Boone: Mr. Mayor, you are quarantined because you have COVID. I'm sorry to hear that, but I want to know how you are managing this crisis today from where you are, and when can we expect another update from the Police Department?
Mayor Adams: Well, yeah, you guys and ladies, you know me. You know I want to be on the ground, and there was a desire right away as soon as I heard this just to leave Gracie Mansion and go to the scene. But I can't do that. I have to follow the procedures and rules that are put in place, but I have been in constant contact. Thank God to communication and technology, I have the communication with all of the entities on the ground.
Mayor Adams: Listen, we have one of the most well-trained law enforcement entities in the entire country. NYPD, they are well aware of what they're doing, how to track down leads. We just witnessed some of the cases over the last few months that they made quick apprehensions because of that. Trust me when I tell you, we're going to find this person and we're going to bring him to justice.
Mayor Adams: My job is to lead no matter where I am. If I'm in the city or if I'm at Gracie Mansion, I have to make sure that all of my agencies are carrying out their responsibilities. That is what they did, and I'm proud of the New Yorkers, and I'm proud of the agencies that responded to this crisis.
Ruschell Boone: Mayor Eric Adams, thank you for that update. By the way, I hope you get well soon. I am sorry. That you-
Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you.
2:25 PM – Appears Live on WCBS 880 AM
Steve Scott: We are joined live now by New York City Mayor Eric Adams. We appreciate your time, Mr. Mayor. Give us the latest on the investigation at this point.
Mayor Adams: Still active, very active. We are looking for a male, appears to be a male, Black. The Police Department is currently looking throughout the city to identify this person. Communicated with the governor this morning, as well as the White House and the collaboration of both city, state, and federal agencies. I feel assured that we're going to apprehend this person.
Scott: There are conflicting reports on whether cameras in that part of the subway were working. What can you tell us about that?
Mayor Adams: The preliminary review stated that at that particular station there appeared to have been some form of malfunction with the camera system, that is still under the investigation. We are communicating with the MTA to find out was it throughout the entire station or if it was just one camera. So, that's still something that we are looking into.
Scott: Well, we've certainly already seen some videos from eyewitnesses who are at the scene. Are any of those videos on social media proving to be helpful to investigators yet?
Mayor Adams: Yes they are. And I really want to take my hat off to New Yorkers. As you saw in the video, a countless number of New Yorkers stood to help those who were injured. And some of the video footage allowed us to piece together pieces of the actual attack and the MTA employees and the first responders, both the hospital personnel, as well as FDNY, NYPD. We witness New Yorkers during the crises coming together to assist their fellow New Yorkers and the person who carries out this act in no way is going to get away with this action, take away from our desire to live in our city without this level of violence and attack.
Scott: Police Commissioner Sewell at the news conference a little while ago said 16 people injured, none life threatening. Is that still the case? Are all the victims expected to survive?
Mayor Adams: Yes, that is the preliminary report. And that is due to the fast acting of our hospital personnel here in the area, as well as those who were on the train, those civilians who were on the train and responded accordingly to this attack.
Scott: Mayor Adams joining us live here on WCBS. You have ordered more officers to patrol the subways now?
Mayor Adams: Yes, we took several immediate actions. And again, I want to take my hat up to the Department of Education for responding with the lockdown of the schools to protect our children. Now, I believe all are open except for five that are in the immediate area. And we want parents to reach out to the schools directly. And for those who are using the transit system, the MTA will list any scheduled changes on their website. But at the same time, the response from the hospital allowed us to give the necessary first aid care that was needed to those who were injured.
Scott: And again Mr. Mayor, tell us about the extra officers that will be going into the subways.
Mayor Adams: We're going to ensure and hold the day tour platoon, is considered the second platoon of officers, to be there with the third platoon, the four to 12 shift. So we could have a double number of offices that are normally there so that we can reinforce any form of security that's needed at this time until we get this person apprehended. But we're saying to everyday New Yorkers if you see something, say something and do something and report it to police personnel or through our hotline. The information that you turn over will be kept confidential and allow us to apprehend this person.
Scott: 800-577-TIPS, I believe, right?
Mayor Adams: Yes, it is 800-577-TIPS.
Scott: Mr. Mayor, you are still quarantining with COVID. Sound better, by the way, today that's good to hear. You couldn't go to the scene today, is that at all hurting your ability to respond to the attack today or communicate with the appropriate agencies?
Mayor Adams: It's hurting my desire. You know me, I'm a person that likes to be on the ground and on the scene. And so there's a real feeling of not being there to show my presence and support for my fellow New Yorkers. But I am confident we have one of the best law enforcement agencies in the country, if not the globe, and the coordination and support that has come from the governor, the state police, the federal authorities is what we need. And so no matter where I am, if it's in Gracie Mansion or out of town, it's imperative that we have the right men and women on the ground doing the job. I'm confident, I am in communication with them, continuously updated. And I must make sure that I continue to coordinate the efforts and we're doing so from here at Gracie Mansion. One of the wonders of technology that allows us to continue to have the visual presence we need, as well as the telecommunication.
Scott: Mr. Mayor, before I let you go I want to ask you about the attack and the wording around it today. A lot of authorities at that news conference were careful to point out that it does not appear to be terrorism, but maybe some sort of isolated incident here. How important are the semantics here with an attack like this today?
Mayor Adams: Well, I want to be clear, based on a preliminary investigation, someone intentionally determined to create terror in our subway system and attack our passengers. Once we apprehend the person to continue the investigation, we were determined what was their source or what was the reason they carried out the act. But we would not remove the fact that their attempt was to create terror with this, a smoke device, to create smoke with the weapons that were discharged and struck innocent New Yorkers and any other action that they participated in. And so once we apprehend the person we'll be able to identify what was the purpose behind it. But one thing is clear, there was a goal to create terror in our subway system, and that is not acceptable.
Scott: Mayor Adams, we know you're busy certainly. We appreciate giving us a few minutes this afternoon. Thank you for your time.
Mayor Adams: Thank you very much. Take care.
2:36 PM – Calls in Live on 1010 WINS
Brigitte Quinn: Mr. Mayor, we know you're isolating at Gracie due to COVID. We hope you're feeling better, but you have been briefed on the attack on the N Train. What can you tell us on the investigation at this point?
Mayor Adams: As you are aware, this is still an active and ongoing investigation and the New York City Police Department is coordinating with our state and federal agencies to apprehend the person responsible for this. We know that 10 individuals were shot. We believe at this time they're non-life threatening and we're going to double our patrol on our subway system this afternoon. And we're asking New Yorkers, if they see something, say something, but also do something and contact an officer or call 911 or our tip hotline. So this is still active, this person will be apprehended, and will determine the source of why this actually took place.
Quinn: Mr. Mayor, there are cameras throughout the subway system. Everybody has a cell phone with a camera now. Do we know of any images that we may be seeing soon of this suspect who again remains at large?
Mayor Adams: No. We want to thank those New Yorkers who took video that use during the initial exiting of the train. And you're right, there are many subway cameras, and we're asking New Yorkers who may have been on the train and saw this individual or anyone that was acting suspicious to report the tip to the local authorities because we can gather all the tips to find the final piece to the puzzle that you're looking for. We do know this, that there was a problem with the camera at that particular station. We are investigating on if there were any video footage there, but at this time, we're tracking down a number of leads. We feel confident that we're going to apprehend the person that's responsible.
Quinn: ABC News is reporting that a gun has now been found at that station, a handgun with three extended round magazines, one of them empty on the floor. Do you know anything about that?
Mayor Adams: All of the evidence and information is still new. There's a lot of reports coming from different directions and what we don't want to do right now is in any way jeopardize the investigation. Once information becomes available that won't interfere with the investigation or prosecution, we're going to release that. The police commissioner and I are going to do an update to the media in the next few hours. We want to make sure any information we release is going to be thorough and not put anyone in a place of jeopardizing the prosecution of this person when we apprehend them.
Quinn: No word yet on a possible motive, I understand. You don't have the suspect in custody yet, but any indication of this investigation going in one direction or another?
Mayor Adams: Well, let's be clear, I know the first thing that comes to mind is people wondering, is this a terrorist act or not. I'm clear on this, the individual today had a desire of creating terror in our subway system. They were intentionally using a level of force that terrorized our passengers and innocent New Yorkers. And so whatever designation and reason for their action is not acceptable and we're going to append them and they're going to be held accountable for this despicable act on innocent New Yorkers.
Quinn: Mayor Eric Adams live with us on 1010 WINS. And, Mayor, the suspect remains on the loose. New Yorkers still have to get on the subway today. What is your message to them about whether they're safe?
Mayor Adams: Vigilance, be vigilant. New Yorkers are known for doing that. New Yorkers are resilient. We have experienced horrific acts in the past and I'm saying to New Yorkers, be vigilant. If you see something out of order, to report to the police. We're going to have a double level of enforcement there. So police officers will be visibly present and if any New Yorker believes there's something that's out of the norm, we're asking them to communicate that to the police officer. So I'm saying at this time we want them to be vigilant so we can apprehend this person that's responsible.
Quinn: Okay. Thank you, Mayor Eric Adams. We wish you well in your continued recovery from COVID and thank you very much for joining us this afternoon on 1010 WINS.
Mayor Adams: Thank you. Take care.
2:52 PM – Calls in Live on WNYC Radio
Brian Lehrer: With us now is Mayor Eric Adams. Mr. Mayor, I'm sorry under these circumstances, but welcome back to WNYC.
Mayor Adams: Thank you so much. It's good to speak with you.
Lehrer: How are you, first of all?
Mayor Adams: Good. No symptoms, just a tickle in my throat. No fever, no headache, no runny nose, no body aches. It's all I can say is two things, booster, vaccination. It is clearly a different response when you are proactive dealing with this virus and shows we could beat COVID in a real way.
Lehrer: The last official update was in the 12:00 hour. Do you have anything new for us right now on the state of the manhunt?
Mayor Adams: We're following leads. I am confident with the collaboration of this federal, state and city lawmakers that we're going to zero in on this person that's responsible for this unprovoked attack on our passengers and on our city. I want to take my hat off to New Yorkers. When you look at some of the amateur video that was posted, you saw New Yorkers helping their fellow passengers, our first responders doing their job, the transit officials. We respond well during crises like no other municipality, and I want to thank them. We're just going to follow these leads, and we're going to find this person that's responsible.
Lehrer: So you don't have any description at this point of the shooter's plans after the shooting or what a motive might be?
Mayor Adams: No, we do not. We know that the person responsible wanted to bring a level of terror into our subway system by using a device to create smoke and then discharged a weapon. 10 individuals were struck, six others were injured. So we know that this was a very clear act of bringing some form of terror to our passengers. It's not going to go unaccounted for. We're going to find this person, and we're going to bring them to justice. In the meantime, we're going, to double down-
Lehrer: Go ahead. You can finish. I'm sorry.
Mayor Adams: In the meantime, we're going to double down on our transit offices. We're holding the day tour to complement the evening tour, so we're telling passengers if they see something, say something, and do something by communicating with the law enforcement personnel that would be in the system.
Lehrer: In your experience as a police officer, have you seen something like this before, where somebody sets off a smoke bomb and then starts shooting?
Mayor Adams: No, I have not. So it appears as though this was premeditated. I was a former transit police officer, and I know how it is when you attempt to evacuate a subway system without the smoke, the gunshot, and the disorder. Those responding officers, you respond to a scene like that, and you're not sure if the gunman is still there, you're not sure of the difference between who's fleeing from the violence and who is actually causing the violence, and so it's a very delicate situation. That's why I really commend the way that passengers and fellow New Yorkers helped each other.
Lehrer: You used the word terror a minute ago. Mr. Mayor, do you believe that it's possible that this was an act of political terrorism?
Mayor Adams: Unsure. No evidence is revealing that now, but we know that the goal was to bring about terror based on the way it was done, as you indicated, the smoke device and the discharging of a weapon. So that was a goal. Now, when we apprehend the person and do a thorough investigation and search, we are going to be able to determine if there was an additional motivating factor that we could pinpoint to what caused it. But we're not leaving anything unturned, and everything is on the table right now until we apprehend this person and do a deeper dive into exactly why this took place.
Lehrer: Is the green vest that people say they saw him wearing a clue of any kind for you?
Mayor Adams: It pieces it together because what it allows us to do, if it was actually a green vest, it allows us to speak with other passengers, because someone may have been on the train and identified this person, what he was wearing. It's amazing when you start putting the pieces to the puzzle together, sometimes people believe they have an insignificant piece, when in fact it is maybe the last piece we're looking for. That's why we want to really encourage New Yorkers, if you were on that line throughout the entire morning and you saw anything that was suspicious, please let law enforcement know. It would be kept confidential and it could help us really zero in on this person and bring them to justice.
Lehrer: Was the weapon recovered or do you know what kind of weapon was used?
Mayor Adams: The investigation is fresh. We want to be very sensitive about not releasing information that can tie to the prosecution. We're going to do another briefing with the police commissioner a few hours from now and we'll release all the information we have and data we have thus far, but we want to be extremely sensitive not to tip the hand of the person that we're looking for. We want to continue to have the element of uncertainty to surprise, to catch this person.
Lehrer: Do you believe the shooter acted alone?
Mayor Adams: Well, it's unclear. As it looks now, it appears to be only one shooter.
Lehrer: Mr. Mayor, what's your message to New Yorkers scared to go on the subway today?
Mayor Adams: We're going to be there, our officers, as I indicated. We're going to double the number of offices. It's important to have omnipresence, and we're going to continue to be thorough in how we inspect our stations. When you look at from January 6th to this weekend, officers conducted over 265,000 subway inspections, and we're going to continue to have that visible presence that we expect from our Police Department, particularly in the transit bureau.
Mayor Adams: I've been clear I want my officers on the train, riding the trains, at the stations. We need that omnipresence. Something like this can hurt as we try to bring back New Yorkers into the work environment that utilize the subway system, but we are resilient as a city. We respond. So just that first video, New Yorkers respond. Now, this is what makes us a special place, and I believe that we're going to append this person. We're not going to allow anything to get in the way of our recovery.
Lehrer: Mayor Eric Adams, thank you very much for giving us some time with all else you're doing in light of the shooting. I hope you recover very quickly. Glad you're vaccinated. Thank you for giving us a few minutes today.
Mayor Adams: Thank you, Brian. Take care.
3:02 PM – Appears Live on WNBC4
Natalie Pasquarella: New York City Mayor Eric Adams joining us now. Mayor Adams, thank you so much for joining us this afternoon.
Mayor Adams: Thank you for having me.
Pasquarella: First things first, just tell us the latest on what you're hearing. We just heard from Jonathan Deans, but what are you hearing? The latest information you have.
Mayor Adams: Well, the investigation, as you know, is still active and we want to make sure that the information we give to the public is accurate, and at the same time, won't impede in our ability to apprehend this person that is responsible for this horrific act of violence on our fellow New Yorkers.
Pasquarella: Horrific indeed. And mayor, we've been seeing that stunning video coming in here. Unclear at this point, reporting, that if the security cameras were working. Speak a little bit about that, the security cameras there.
Mayor Adams: We're looking at that. The MTA has been cooperating with us. We have been communicating with their leadership. We believe there was some technical issues with the cameras at that station, potentially the feed at that station. But we are still examining that to make sure that we can determine what happened and if there's any video footage that's available that could be used in the investigation. It's imperative that all New Yorkers know that this is a puzzle that we're going to put together, and every piece of information is a piece of that puzzle, so if they see anything or saw something this morning, please let us know, and that will help us zero in on this person that's responsible.
Pasquarella: We know right now, Mayor Adams, that gun violence has been at the top of your list, and of course, at the top of all New Yorkers' minds right now. We know that New Yorkers fear, one of their biggest fears, is something like this happening in the subways. We've heard from so many people who say they are scared. What do you have to say that?
Mayor Adams: And it's understandable. This is why I have had a level of urgency, and my actions, not only of leading up to my appointment as being elected as the mayor of the city, but throughout this term, these last three months. I said it over and over again. There are many rivers that feed the sea of violence in our city, but also in our country.
Mayor Adams: This gun violence has cascaded throughout the entire country and we need help. NYPD is doing this job. Did you know we removed over 1,800 guns off our street? 10% of those guns were ghost guns. That is why the president made the right decision in putting in place the potential appointment of the head of the ATF of going after illegal ghost guns. There's going to need to be a combined effort to get this issue under control. We're going to do our job here in the city, but we need help on all levels of government.
Pasquarella: And you've talked about getting guns off the street. This is our last question for you, because I know you're busy this afternoon. Has anything new popped into your mind? Anything new you're thinking about to fight this gun violence, since today's happened?
Mayor Adams: Yes, technology. We're going to be introducing some new technology that we believe could assist us, and we are not going to leave any stone unturned to deal with this issue of violence. These are the byproducts of historical issues that have been in our cities, and cities across America. We know we have to address them and we are up and willing to do so.
Mayor Adams: I cannot thank the men and women of the New York City Police Department and other agencies that responded today, and those everyday New Yorkers. We showed why this city responds to crises and the resiliency that we have. We are going to make sure we apprehend this person and keep New Yorkers safe.
Pasquarella: Mayor Eric Adams, we thank you so much for joining us this afternoon. Take care.
Mayor Adams: Thank you.
3:22 PM – Appears Live on MSNBC
Hallie Jackson: We are back with our breaking coverage of the attack at that New York City subway station. Joining us now, New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Mayor Adams, it's good to see you this afternoon. Thank you for being with us. I know it's been busy.
Mayor Adams: Thank you.
Jackson: Let me start with trying to get an update on where things stand at the moment and then we'll broaden out in a second. But first, we've now seen this photo of a bag that apparently was recovered by law enforcement from the scene. Another piece of evidence, right? Is law enforcement getting closer, based on what you know, to tracking down this suspect?
Mayor Adams: Well, closer to me is apprehension. I am not going to be happy until this person is in handcuffs and behind bars. This was a horrific unprovoked attack on New Yorkers and we are going to coordinate with our city, state, and federal agencies and bring this person to justice. This will not go unprosecuted.
Jackson: We mentioned at the top of the show. There is this be on the lookout alert, apparently, according to sources for a U-Haul with Arizona plates. Can you tell us any more about the link between this van and the suspect?
Mayor Adams: Right now, the Police Department, the commissioner, and I, we will give a complete and thorough update in a few hours based on the solid evidence that we have, but we want to be careful not to release any information that is going to get in the way of, number one, the apprehension, and number two, the prosecution. It is imperative that we coordinate and give the public the information we need that could assist us in finding this person. We believe we're going to find this person and we're going to bring them to justice.
Jackson: You talk about getting the public to try to help you find this suspect. An image, a picture, would be useful, yes? Do you anticipate being able to release one anytime soon?
Mayor Adams: Yeah, but what we don't want to do is to put out the wrong picture. The wrong image. This must be done in a coordinated, intelligent way to make sure that whatever leads we receive, once we properly identify the person we're looking for or a person of interest, that's when you want to release that photo. We're zeroing in on that and, at that time, we'll release whatever visual image that we have to assist the public in finding this person.
Jackson: Got it. So when you say zeroing in on this manhunt, do you anticipate it as a matter of hours or perhaps a matter of days before this person is caught? I assume not weeks, Mr. Mayor.
Mayor Adams: Oh, we don't... Listen. We don't want to have this person another second on our streets. It's clear that our efforts are going to apprehend this person as expeditiously as possible. We can't put a timetable on that. People try to elude justice, but we are confident that we're going to find this person.
Jackson: What do we know about the camera at the subway station and why it wasn't working? Do you have any new info on that?
Mayor Adams: That's a good question that we're zeroing in on. We're unclear if it was the feed or the actual device itself. We are communicating with the MTA and they have been extremely collaborative in trying to find out exactly what happened. We have these cameras in the subway for a reason. To deal with attacks of this nature so we could readily identify and apprehend people. We're looking to find out exactly what took place here. We will ask the MTA to do an overview of all of the systems so we could identify if there are other cameras that are out.
Jackson: Obviously, an incredibly scary morning. Not just for the people, the eyewitnesses, but obviously for the victims. For the people who are now being treated, who are in the hospital. Do you have an update, Mayor Adams, on how many victims there are, how many people are being treated, and their conditions?
Mayor Adams: We believe 10 individuals were shot, six others were injured, during the entire encounter. We want to take our hats off to New Yorkers. You looked at some of the amateur video that was posted online. Clearly, you saw New Yorkers at their best. Coming to the aid and assistance of those who were injured. And then our first responders. From the FDNY, the NYPD, and our hospital personnel immediately attending to the wounds of those who were injured. None of the injuries appear to be life-threatening at this time, but we're going to keep a close watch.
Jackson: Any update? There are some schools in the proximity of where this shooting happened that are still on, essentially, a lockdown status, as you know. When do you anticipate that lifting?
Mayor Adams: Well, we have to commend the Department of Education, the school chancellor, and the entire team for how they immediately kicked into action. This is what we do to protect the children in the area. The five schools that were located in the area. We immediately wanted to make sure that they were locked down. That lockdown will be released, if we haven't started already. The other schools outside of those five were released. We wanted to take the necessary steps to ensure that the issue was under control before we allowed our children to exit our schools.
Jackson: So given all that, given the images... I don't know that you can see it from where you are, but we are showing on screen what that scene had looked like, what it looked like just hours ago. You can imagine there's a lot of New Yorkers who may be feeling a little bit uneasy right now about the situation, about what's happening in the area, about what's happening at this moment. If you were not in COVID isolation, Mayor Adams, would you go ride the subway right now?
Mayor Adams: Yes. And New Yorkers know me. That's one thing they will tell you. I want you to be on the front line with the people of this city. Not only as a former police officer who happened to have been a transit police officer, but this is what I do. I ride the subways. I'm in the subway system three and four in the morning. Because if I'm telling New Yorkers, they could ride the subway, then I need to leave from the front and that is what I'm known to do so here in the city. But what we're going to do to help sort of ease some of the apprehension... We're going to double our enforcement. We are keeping our day tour police officers to compliment the four to 12 tour police officers. But we are asking New Yorkers. If they see something, say something and do something. Notify their local police official. And let's be clear. This is not only for this incident. Since January 6th, we have conducted over 265,000 inspections of our subway system because we know it's vital for our recovery and we don't want something like this to hamper the recovery of our city.
Jackson: And your message to New Yorkers is, yes, you should feel comfortable riding the train, getting on your usual stop, as you head home from work tonight.
Mayor Adams: And be vigilant while you're doing so. You're going to see a visible police presence, but we need our New Yorkers to be vigilant, like we are. If they see something that appears to be out of the ordinary, don't hesitate to communicate that to the uniformed officer that's there or the motorman or any other transit member of the transit authority.
Jackson: Mr. Mayor, I've been watching, obviously, the coverage and looking at the reporting here. You have clearly called this, in your view, terror, right? You see this as terror. But you've also said that it is still too early to know what exactly this is. Help us understand that. Do you believe that this ultimately will be found to be an active terror in New York?
Mayor Adams: Well, anytime you have a person that uses a smoke device and you have a person that discharges a weapon in the system that appears to have placed a gas mask on his face, that is a person that is intentionally trying to terrorize our system. Once we apprehend him or her and do a thorough investigation and determine the motivation behind his act, we can make an official determination on what it is. But we're not going to leave any stone unturned and everything is on the table until we can zero in on what was the motivation behind this. But one thing is clear. They wanted to bring terror to our city and they wanted to terrorize the men and women who were on the system. Innocent New Yorkers who were the victim of this terrible action that took place this morning.
Jackson: Given how horrific what happened this morning was, what is your message then to people in your city who are looking at this shooting, looking at this attack, and putting it into the broader context, as you well know, of crime rates in New York?
Mayor Adams: They're saying that the mayor has had it right from the beginning of taking office and while he campaigned. The mayor has had it right in stating that this awful issue of gun violence that has become pervasive in our country from school shootings to the high number of shootings in local neighborhoods... The mayor has had it right by stating there are many rivers that feed the sea of violence and we have to dam each one. The president took a step to dam one of the rivers by nominating a person to head the ATF to go after ghost guns. The mayor has had it right. Since January, my police officers have removed 1,800 guns off our streets. Think about that for a moment. 1,800 guns. And yet there's a constant flow.
Mayor Adams: So I think New Yorkers are saying... So I think New Yorkers are saying, over and over again, the mayor is sending out the message that it's time to stop this senseless over proliferation of guns in our cities, in our country and we can do it together. So I think New Yorker understand that the mayor has been saying this and putting his police officers in action to deal with this issue of crime in our city. But we do need help on all levels of government to stop the revolving door criminal justice system, to free up our courts, so we can get dangerous people off our streets and make sure we stop the flow of guns in our cities.
Jackson: As it relates, Mayor Adams, to what happened this morning, I'm struck by something that you said just a couple of moments ago as we talked about the victims. The people who were hurt in this attack. That all of their injuries so far are not expected to be life-threatening. In other words, they are all expected to survive. I wonder, as you look at some of the images, some of the few images we've seen coming out of the subway station, coming out of the aftermath, if you have any thought that this could have been worse and what a miracle it is that more people hadn't been hurt here.
Mayor Adams: Yes, it is. And it could have been worse. Thank God and thank for New Yorkers. I think some of those injuries did not turn into life-threatening injuries because of everyday New Yorkers. This is what we do. This is the history of this city. If it's a building collapsing at our center of trade or if it's a plane landing on the river, New Yorkers step up and they respond. I thank God for those New Yorkers, those first responders, the men and women of law enforcement, our hospital personnel. This is who we are as a city. We're resilient. We are not going to allow anything to get in the way of our way of life. We will find the person who's responsible for this action and he will be brought to justice.
Jackson: New York City Mayor Eric Adams. You mentioned, in a few hours, you think there'll be another update? Press conference later tonight, you think?
Mayor Adams: Yes. Any new information that we have that could assist us in apprehending this person, we will bring it forth this afternoon. Later this afternoon.
Jackson: Mayor Adams, I appreciate your time. I appreciate you joining us here on MSNBC reports this afternoon. Thank you.
Mayor Adams: Thank you.
4:04 PM – Appears Live on WPIX11
Tamsen Fadal: All right, and now Mayor Eric Adams is joining us live on Zoom from Gracie Mansion this afternoon, where he has been overseeing the city's response to this shooting. Mayor Adams, thanks so much for joining us.
Mayor Adams: Oh, thank you.
Fadal: Can we go ahead and get the very latest on this investigation? I know we have some new information as to the fact that you all now know who it is you are looking for. Can you bring us up to date?
Mayor Adams: Well, we want to be extremely careful at this time with the information we release, because we don't want to do anything to tip off the hand of the person we are pursuing, and it's very important at this time not to send out any misinformation, misidentification. So, the Police Department, once they have a positive ID, in the briefing that we would do later this afternoon, we will put out as much information as possible, so we could apprehend this person, and we will apprehend this person.
Kori Chambers: We certainly all are waiting for that news from you and the department, Mr. Mayor. As we talk to you now, it's 4:05, and I know at this very moment, there are people who are at work, who are about to leave to head home, and they're having second thoughts about taking the subway. I wonder, as such a proponent of the subway, it is the life blood of the city, I know you have called for New Yorkers to get back to work, and to get riding again. For all of those New Yorkers who have serious questions, serious concerns right now about hopping on a subway train, what do you say to them?
Mayor Adams: We have to match their concerns with the safety that they deserve, and the safety that they need. Today, one step we're taking is we're going to double the amount of uniform officers there. We're going to hold what's considered the day tour to meet and compliment the evening tour. You're going to see a double amount of police officers. We want to [inaudible] presence that's needed, but we also want New Yorkers to be vigilant. We want them, if they see something that's out of place, to immediately notify their uniform officer. I think nothing is more truer than if you see something, say something, and do something by contacting us. This is a horrific experience that could have a negative impact on our recovery, but we're not going to allow it to do so. This is a resilient city, and I really want to take my head up to those New Yorkers that responded to the needs, and gave the aid to those passengers that were injured, and our first responders and police officers.
Fadal: Yeah, we did absolutely see New York today coming to the aid of New Yorkers. There's no question about it, and there's no city that doesn't quite like this. That's for sure, Mayor. Let me ask you this. There were cameras down in that subway system. What can you tell us about that? Were they working, and what kind of images do you have as of this afternoon? Now we are several hours later.
Mayor Adams: The footage that you witnessed just a little while ago, that is from one of the potential, possibly passengers. We're going to find out exactly what happened to the camera in the system. We're not sure if it was a video feed problem, or if something was captured. The MTA has been extremely cooperative, and we'll find out exactly what happened, and if we have any images that's available that could assist in closing this investigation. The purpose of those cameras is that we can identify if something happened in our system, and we want to make sure they operate it, and we're hoping that a canvas and an inventory is done with all of the cameras in our system. If there's a problem, it must be immediately repaired.
Chambers: All right, Mr. Mayor, I understand we have to let you go. I certainly have more questions for you. We certainly would love to talk to you for longer, but I know you have other commitments, so we will allow you to go, but we appreciate the update, and obviously we'll be staying in touch as we hopefully get word of an arrest here very soon. Thank you.
Mayor Adams: Thank you.
Fadal: Also hoping you're recovering well, Mayor Adams.
Chambers: That's true.
Mayor Adams: Yes. Thank you very much.
4:25 PM – Appears Live on News 12 Brooklyn
Kristie Reeter: Right now we have Mayor Eric Adams on the line with us on Zoom, joining us. Mayor first of all, I know you have COVID right now, but that's not stopping you from working. Mayor, thank you so much for being with us. We are anticipating new information from police. I know you're following it all closely. What are the new updates?
Mayor Adams: Thank you for having us and getting information out to the public. And this is a very delicate moment. I know there's a desire to get as much information as possible, but when you have an active investigation, an attempt to append someone still at large, we want to be careful not to in any way, give this person information that would allow him to evade authorities. We're going to give our additional information that we want to give to the public in a few hours. But at this time we have a number of leads that we are looking into, and we are confident that we're going to apprehend the person that is responsible for this terrible act on innocent New Yorkers.
Dan Serafin: Mayor, we've been kind of highlighting that there's a couple of events going on this evening in the borough of Brooklyn nearby, where the incident happened. People that may have tickets to a Nets game or going to a baseball game or whatever, traveling around the borough tonight. Can you give them a vote of confidence while doing so? Or what advice do you have for them?
Mayor Adams: To be vigilant. New Yorkers know how to be vigilant. We've been here before dealing with a major crisis, and we have always responded according to the threat that we were facing. Let's be clear when you look at some of the amateur video that was posted online, you saw New Yorkers at their best, helping their fellow passengers and fellow New Yorkers, NYPD, FDNY, our hospital personnel dealt with the injuries immediately. You saw who and what we are as New Yorkers. We're going to do our part also as a city. We're going to double the amount of police officers that are normally on the afternoon hours. We keeping the day tour to complement the four to 12 tour. This way we could have the omnipresence that's needed. And if New Yorkers see something that is out of line to them, they should reach out to the uniform personnel that is in the subway system to make sure to get the assistance that they need.
Reeter: Mayor, I know when you were here at our studios and when you were campaigning, subway safety, tackling crime, that is your big effort and what you're undertaking right now. With something like this, you've already been trying to tackle the subway crime, and now this. How does that change what you're doing in terms of making the subway safer?
Mayor Adams: It's unfortunate that incidents like this will cause many of us to stand up and take notice. This is something that I have been talking about not only through the campaign, but even as the mayor of the city. Would you believe we have removed over 1,800 guns off our streets in this city? And there seems to be an endless flow. 10% of those guns were ghost guns. And I think the president took the right action of nominating someone to head the ATF so that we can have a good solid leader there of information sharing and stop the flow of guns in our cities.
Mayor Adams: But we also should look at how this has become a national crisis. The gun violence on school campuses, in our streets, in our neighborhoods. We must ensure that we tackle and meet this problem head on. That is why I've been so dogmatic about we must stop the dangerous people that are on our street, stop the revolving door criminal justice system that we have. And make sure we free up our court system so we can have those who are brought up on gun charges and other violent crimes, they are prosecuted and served their time in state prisons like the criminal justice system was made to carry out.
Serafin: Mayor, do you have a message to somebody, a New Yorker that may be going to work tomorrow and wondering if they're safe on the subway to go to work tomorrow morning?
Mayor Adams: If I was not quarantined in Gracie Mansion, I'm sure you know me by now, I like to be leading the charge on the front line. I would be on that subway system. I have a lot of faith in the transit police bureau and the New York City Police Department. We have a job to do to keep New Yorkers safe, and we're going to do that. And we deal with these very difficult moments when someone carries out a very sick act of violence, but New Yorkers are resilient. We will continue to ensure that we have that omnipresence that's needed and respond. But we're asking New Yorkers, if you see something that is troubling to you, please let the police officer that's there on the scene know, so that we can apprehend individuals such as the one we are seeking to apprehend now.
Reeter: Mayor Adams, thank you so much. And we wish you continued recovery too. I know. I'm sure it's very hard for you to not be out there knowing you well, I'm sure, but you've been out there all day today. So hopefully you can get some rest, but we appreciate you taking the time to talk with us here on News 12.
Mayor Adams: Thank you. Thank you for reporting on this important issue. Take care.
5:24 PM – Appears Live on FOX5
Steve Lacy: Joining us now, Mayor Eric Adams. Mayor, thanks for taking the time. We appreciate it. We know it's been a hectic day for you on top of COVID nonetheless. So let's talk about the latest information we have right now is that the chopper is over a U-Haul in Gravesend, Brooklyn that matches the description of the one they were looking for that's attached to the gunman in this morning's incident. What can you tell us about that?
Mayor Adams: The police, they are still investigating to determine if this is evidence that could be used in the apprehension, in the prosecution of this person. We will find him. And at this time we are extremely disciplined on what we're putting out to the public, because we don't want misinformation. We don't want anything that's going to impede an investigation and prosecution.
Teresa Priolo: Do you have every reason to believe that the person that carried out this crime is in fact a New Yorker, or is this somebody from out of state who came here to reign terror?
Mayor Adams: We're unsure at this time. And really after we make an apprehension, we would be able to really piece all the pieces to the puzzle together. This was a sick act on innocent New Yorkers, and we are unsure of the motive or on exactly where he came from. But we are carrying through on several leads and we feel confident that we're going to apprehend this person.
Lacy: Yeah, no, this was an escalation for sure. The idea of a mass shooting on the subway. We've seen plenty of random crimes, wrong place, wrong time, but this definitely took it up a whole new notch, which I think is why people find it so concerning. Let's talk about, there was an issue with the surveillance cameras at this station not being working at the time. And I also saw something about how the suspect was allowed to get out. They did not lock down the subway station. Do you have any comment on either of those two points?
Mayor Adams: Well, we're looking into the video feed at the train station that was involved. The MTA has been extremely cooperative and we cannot thank them enough. We don't know exactly what happened at that location. We are looking into it. But we want to thank those New Yorkers who posted videos from their cameras. And I think that if you looked at that video, you would see what really makes our city a great city. You saw everyday passengers helping each other as the first responders arrived, and then our hospital personnel doing their job. It was a collaborative effort from citizens, for first responders, from medical professionals. We're still trying to identify exactly what happened with the video feed at the location.
Priolo: Steve alluded to this, sir, but the fact that these people were trapped inside of a subway car as it filled with smoke, that is truly many New Yorkers' worst nightmare, that an act of violence would occur in such tight quarters. And then we hear that this individual had a gun on him. Obviously we know that shots were fired and that gun jammed. Is it your belief that had that gun not jammed, that we could have seen more people injured and even more violence than we saw earlier today?
Mayor Adams: Well, we know that 10 people were shot. Six people were injured during the movement and reports of what happened to his gun and what happened inside the train car. We want to be extremely careful because whenever you have incidents like this, as a former police officer, I know that you hear things coming from different locations, and we are extremely disciplined and sensitive to make sure the information that officially comes from the New York City Police Department is going to be accurate and thorough. We don't want to give any misinformation, and there's nothing been reported officially from the Police dDepartment about a jamming of a firearm or anything like that. We have two levels here. We have to catch this guy in his terrible, deranged behavior of doing this. And then we have to prosecute. If we don't get it right, then we would jeopardize putting someone away that committed a terrible act on innocent New Yorkers.
Lacy: All right. And earlier today you mentioned doubling police on the subway system. Obviously this is a crisis situation at this point. People are afraid to go underground. What's your word to commuters who are going to have to get back on the train tomorrow to get to work or school?
Mayor Adams: Well, I'm sure you know, you've been covering me for a while, that if I was not here at Gracie Mansion, I would be on that subway tracks tomorrow. I would be there taking the trains with commuters to lead from the front. I have a lot of faith in transit police personnel that are assigned there. We're going to double the number of uniformed personnel during the evening tour. We're going to leave the second tour in place, that's the day tour, and we're going to put in place the third platoon with them, because it's about omnipresence. We have to deal with the trepidation and the sort of the uncertainty that New Yorkers are feeling right now. Trust me, it shakes you up, but we've been here before. We dealt with some real crises in the city and New Yorkers always respond. I think that's what makes us unique as a city.
Priolo: Mayor, before we let you go, just a short time ago we heard that Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin has resigned. He is facing charges in a campaign finance scheme. He is somebody that you know. What say you about these charges and the fact that he has now resigned?
Mayor Adams: Well, all of my colleagues in government, I know and I interact with in the professional level. I think right now it is up to the governor and the lieutenant governor. He made a decision and I think he should look forward. He should look in the direction of handling the legal matter that's in front of him.
Lacy: All right. Very well. Busy day, as it seems to be quite a bit around here. Mayor Adams, we appreciate your time. Thank you very much.
Mayor Adams: Thank you. Take care.
5:48 PM – Appears Live on WCBS-TV New York
Maurice DuBois: We are joined now by Mayor Eric Adams to give us an update on the situation. Mayor, thank you for joining us. Let's start with the camera situation downtown, the 36th Street Station there in Brooklyn. It was not working. How is that affecting the investigation right now? What are your thoughts when you hear that a camera was not working in a subway station?
Mayor Adams: It is concerning and the system is under control of the MTA and they are cooperating with City Hall and the NYPD to determine if there was any video captured. We will look into that, but we are sure that we're going to examine the other stations because the camera system is an important part of our anti-violence and terrorist operation as well.
Cindy Hsu: Mayor, the city's been trying to get New Yorkers back into the subway for so long now. What do you tell them now, and what are you going to do, and what will the cost be?
Mayor Adams: Vigilant, we must remain vigilant. And we all are aware that in a large city like New York, we are subject from time to time to experience horrific actions like what we witnessed today. This was a sick act of violence for innocent New Yorkers. We have a role to play as a city. We're going to double our enforcement, our uniformed personnel. We're going to keep our day tour in place as we get our four to 12 tour to come and compliment them. We must have that omnipresence because this could shake you. We are aware of that, but we also know the city's resilient. As it was mentioned earlier, we saw the video of everyday New Yorkers is helping their fellow citizens to overcome this horrific crisis that took place this morning.
DuBois: And Mr. Mayor, one last thing before we let you go here, the subway, we've been having this discussion for years, it's long seen as a soft target. Is the time now to consider putting in something like metal detectors to prevent people with weapons and metal and this kind of thing from getting into the train? People just need to feel safe. Is that one of the answers?
Mayor Adams: I truly believe that. I'm often criticized when I talk about technology being used to identify those who are carrying illegal guns. This is why I'm sending my deputy mayor of public safety to scan the entire country and globe to find ways that we could identify guns. We must marry technology with safety and I'm going to be willing to do so and this really drives home that point.
DuBois: I mean, after all, people use it at Yankee Stadium, at office buildings, at the Garden, on and on and on, you have to wonder why not the subway?
Mayor Adams: You are right. And we found a few ways that it could be used and we have identified some of that technology, and we're going to make sure we do everything within legal means, but we also are going to protect New Yorkers.
DuBois: Okay, Mayor Adams, thanks so much. We appreciate it and best of luck to you there recovering from COVID staying home at a tough time. Appreciate it.
Mayor Adams: Thank you.
6:35 PM – Appears on NBC Nightly News
Lester Holt: As a New Yorker, as a former cop, you know the risk of these subways, the vulnerability of these subways. Can they be properly secured?
Mayor Adams: Yes, they can. We have done it and we will continue to do so. We are going to have a doubling of our patrol strength in the subway system.
6:37 PM – Appears on CBS Evening News
Norah O'Donnell: New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who's working from home after testing positive for COVID, said the city would not allow New Yorkers to be terrorized even by a single individual. We spoke with the mayor about the investigation, and he vowed that the NYPD will catch the suspect. Is the suspect known to the NYPD?
Mayor Adams: As of this time, we have not made a positive identification. Again, we're following a number of leads. And what we don't want to do is put out any misinformation. We want to be thorough in the information we give so that the public can assist us in making this apprehension.
O'Donnell: So, you are saying that, at this hour, the suspect is still at large and you believe him to be armed and dangerous.
Mayor Adams: Yes. We're telling anyone that's approaching anyone that they believe is suspicious to notify the Police Department, but at this time, the person's not apprehended. There's no reason for us to believe that he's not still armed.
O'Donnell: Why hasn't the NYPD released a photo of the suspect?
Mayor Adams: In cases like these... I was a former transit police officer, and as you know, a former member of the New York City Police Department. You put out a photo of a suspect that is incorrect, you could create a real crisis in the city.
O'Donnell: Do you have a good photo of the suspect?
Mayor Adams: All of this is part of the ongoing investigation. As soon as we get one, we are going to release it to the public.
O'Donnell: Can you confirm that there was a malfunction with the camera system? Was it just one camera or all the cameras in that subway station?
Mayor Adams: No, I can't confirm. I know we were having a feed problem. We are attempting to retrieve whatever video that's possible.
O'Donnell: What concerns you the most, given that this suspect is still on the loose?
Mayor Adams: It's larger than this suspect. What concerns me the most is what I've been talking about for several months now; that we have many rivers that are feeding the sea of violence in our city and cities across America. And it's time for all lawmakers to be on the same page. The overproliferation of guns. We removed 1,800 guns off our streets in a little over three months, similar to the gun that was used. It's time for us to get serious about the guns in our city, including ghost guns.
O'Donnell: More than three million people use the subway every day in New York City. What are you doing to make sure the commuters feel safe?
Mayor Adams: Well, number one, and one of them, I believe our subway system is running the finest systems in the country and is going to play a vital role in our recovery effort. Today, immediately, we're going to double down on our patrol strength. If I was not here recovering from COVID, I would be on that subway system today, because, I think as the mayor, you have to lead from the front.
9:05 PM – Appears Live on MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show
Rachel Maddow: Joining us now is New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who joins us live from Gracie Mansion. Mr. Mayor, thank you so much for making time to be here. I know this is a really intense time.
Mayor Adams: Thank you, Rachel and you're right, that although we have not made an official determination of the motive of this horrific act, it's clear that there was an intention to bring terror into our subway system and terrorize the lives of those innocent New Yorkers who merely commuting, or carrying out their daily business in the city and we will catch this person as I stated this morning, and I want to thank the combination of city, state and federal agencies, that collaborated and information sharing to zoom in on him.
Maddow: Within the past couple of hours, we have had the police name the person of interest that they've identified in relation to this case, a 62-year old man, who apparently rented this U-Haul vehicle in Philadelphia. They say he has addresses in Philadelphia and in Wisconsin. It's not known whether he has any sort of link to New York but they did also describe that he may have made social media postings, including some that were concerning postings about you.
Maddow: Can you tell us? Can you shed any further light on that, if you know anything else about this suspect or about his connection to the case, his potential threats to yourself, Mr. Mayor?
Mayor Adams: This moment when you have an investigation this young and this new, there are two goals here that we don't want to interfere with.
Mayor Adams: Number one is to apprehend him and that is why the Police Department made the decision to release a name and an image because he is a person of interest. And number two, not to endanger the prosecution. If this is the person, we don't want to do anything in releasing evidence or information that is going to hurt the prosecution of the person responsible for these shootings.
Mayor Adams: It is crucial to us that we move at a very methodical level. The Police Department is excellent at carrying out this function and so at this time only the information that the Police Department released is something that they want public and the rest, they're going to hold onto to make sure when this person is apprehended, that he's prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Maddow: Mr. Mayor, I think that one of the things that went through a lot of people's minds who know New York City well enough to understand a little bit about the neighborhood in which this happened, particularly because of hate crimes, particularly because of Anti-Asian hate crimes, this neighborhood where this happens, Sunset Park, is a heavily immigrant neighborhood. There's a large Asian population among lots of other immigrant populations in that neighborhood. As you know, Brooklyn is perhaps the most ethnically and nationally and regionally diverse place in the entire world.
Maddow: Is there any indication or can you tell us anything about worries that this might have been ethically motivated, might have been a targeted sort of hate crime or hate motivated attack? I think people surmise that might be a possibility given the location of this, but we don't have anything to go on.
Mayor Adams: Well, one thing about this city is it is difficult to go into any neighborhood that you're not going to find a level of diversity, particularly in Brooklyn. I was a former Brooklyn borough president and it was a number that I often talked about. 47% of Brooklynites speak a language other than English at home. This is really what you'll see all over New York City, those who are not familiar with the city.
Mayor Adams: We do not see any evidence thus far that the perpetrator was attempting to carry this act based on an immigrant population. But again, this investigation is new and we're going to be thorough to look at all possibilities, to determine exactly what motivated such a real sick act on innocent people.
Maddow: Are you frustrated Mr. Mayor, that there does not appear to have been any surveillance footage from the station? That there's not appear to have been, for whatever reason, any working surveillance cameras at the site of the shooting?
Maddow: We also know that there were no transit police officers in the station where this happened. Those factors obviously are a hindrance to the investigation and may have been a hindrance to stopping the crime before it got as bad as it did.
Maddow: Are you frustrated by those factors that have emerged today since the crime happened?
Mayor Adams: No. There's not a level of frustration that has settled in. We are communicating with the MTA, who the agency is in charge of the cameras. We are communicating with them to identify what happened. One of the sole purposes for having cameras in the subway system is to identify acts like this and we are pinpointing exactly what went wrong with the feed and they have been extremely cooperative.
Mayor Adams: The transit police personnel, they have been really covering our vast subway system since January six, till this weekend. We have conducted over 265,000 subways inspections, complimenting the patrol [inaudible] and having them also conduct inspections and really zooming in on ensuring the omnipresence that's needed throughout the entire system.
Maddow: New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Mr. Mayor, first I know that you are in isolation at Gracie Mansion now because you're a recent COVID diagnosis. We wish you all the best with that. You seem well, sir, and I hope that you are well and you recover quickly and good luck with this investigation, as they attempt to find this person of interest and to solve this crime. Thank you, sir.
Mayor Adams: Thank you.