Police are questioning an 18-year-old man arrested on Friday afternoon after officers spotted him clutching an AK-47 assault rifle at the 42nd Street-Port Authority subway station near Times Square, law enforcement sources said.
According to the NYPD, the arrest happened at about 12:30 p.m. on April 16 on the mezzanine of the station along the A/C/E lines, within the confines of Transit District 1.
Officers on patrol in the area, law enforcement sources said, saw the suspect sitting at the mezzanine while holding what appeared to be an assault weapon. Citing sources, NBC New York reported that the weapon appeared to be semi-automatic in nature, but was not loaded at the time.
“NYPD Transit cops on ‘routine patrol’ in the Times Square subway station recovered this AK-47 and a loaded magazine from an 18 y/o from Ohio,” Police Commissioner Dermot Shea tweeted. “This story could’ve had a tragically different ending, but thanks to these diligent cops, it ends with the suspect in handcuffs.”
.@NYPDTransit cops on “routine” patrol in the @TimesSquareNYC subway station recovered this AK-47 & a loaded magazine from an 18 y/o from Ohio.
This story could’ve had a tragically different ending, but thanks to these diligent cops it ends with the suspect in handcuffs. pic.twitter.com/SkSyBzMdfV
— Edward A. Caban (@NYPDPC) April 16, 2021
The teenager, reportedly from Ohio, was taken into custody without incident, police said. Charges against him are pending the results of the ongoing investigation.
Later on Friday, the NYPD tweeted that there is currently no public threat.
Earlier today, a man in possession of an unloaded rifle was taken into custody by officers inside the Times Square subway station. There is NO current threat to the public. More information will be provided when it is available. pic.twitter.com/uwWyq4q3Yb
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) April 16, 2021
