A man was killed as a result of a physical altercation on board a southbound D train at the East 182nd Street and Grand Concourse subway station in Fordham Heights early Friday morning, according to the NYPD.
Police from the 46th Precinct responded to a 911 call regarding a man shot at the East 182nd Street and Grand Concourse Subway Station at approximately 5 a.m. on Feb. 23. Upon their arrival, officers found a 45-year-old man — later identified as William Alvarez, of Metropolitan Avenue, unconscious with a wound to his torso that is believed to have been caused by either a gunshot or a sharp object. EMS arrived at the scene and transported Alvarez to Saint Barnabas Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased, police said.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the type of wound and cause of death, police said.
Further investigation determined that an unknown individual sat down next to the victim and engaged in a verbal dispute, which turned into a physical altercation. The individual was joined by two more people, who teamed up to assault the victim before fleeing the station.
Police, later on Friday, released surveillance images of the suspects, who were wearing all black.
The investigation remains ongoing.
“I am not shocked that this happened, this stop is absolute chaos. I can’t get to work easily now. Someone is always dying here,” commuter Sheryl James told the Bronx Times.
As a result of the incident, the MTA announced that D trains would bypass the station in both directions while the NYPD conducts their investigation. Commuters were advised to use nearby Bx1 or Bx2 buses.
The subway homicide comes after a Feb. 12 shooting at the Mount Eden Avenue station following an altercation aboard a No. 4 train left one person dead and five others wounded, including two teenagers and a senior citizen. One victim, a 34-year-old man, was pronounced deceased, while the other five were taken to local hospitals in stable condition. The wounded included a 14-year-old girl, a 15-year-old boy, a 28-year-old man, a 29-year-old woman and a 71-year-old man.
Three males are believed to be responsible for the shooting, according to the NYPD, and on Feb. 15, a 16-year old was taken into custody in connection with the incident, which has been reported to have been gang related.
Following the Feb. 12 shooting, U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres wrote a letter asking for an increase in Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) funding to make New York City’s subway system safer and to help prevent weapons from entering into the city via the I-95 corridor.
The Torres-signed letter was sent Feb. 15 to the Hon. Kay Granger, chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, as well as the Hon. David Joyce, chair of the Subcommittee on Homeland Security within H-307 at the Capitol in Washington, D.C.
“In the wake of the horrific shooting in my district in the Bronx that left one dead and five others wounded, more must be done to ensure our public transit systems access to strong levels of federal funding,” Torres wrote in the letter. “That is why I ask, as you continue to negotiate a spending deal for the remainder of FY24, I would implore you both to increase funding for the Transit Security Grant Program (TSGP).”
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 24 with the name of the victim.
