A suspect was taken into custody Wednesday evening after a fatal stabbing aboard a Queens subway train during rush hour.
The victim, a 59-year-old man whose name was being withheld pending family notification, was pronounced dead at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, police said. Emergency responders had rushed him there in critical condition following the attack.
The violence erupted around 5:20 p.m. On a packed southbound J Train as it neared the Woodhaven Boulevard station, according to authorities. What began as an argument between passengers escalated when the assailant produced a sharp object and plunged it into the victim, law enforcement sources said.
Surveillance footage showed the chaotic aftermath as straphangers poured out of the station and onto the street. The suspect, dressed in a black sweatshirt, black sweatpants, black shoes and a balaclava, was seen darting across the road after leaving the platform. Bystanders pointed in his direction, and a group of men nearby gave chase.
Officers moved in swiftly and nabbed a person of interest, placing him into custody later Wednesday evening. It was not immediately clear whether the man captured on video was the same individual detained by police.
Photos from the scene showed what appeared to be a serrated kitchen knife and bloodied clothing scattered across the platform. Detectives and crime scene unit officers descended on the station to process the evidence.
The attack forced northbound J trains to bypass the Woodhaven Boulevard station entirely while the investigation unfolded. Commuters faced disruptions as the deadly transit attack drew a heavy police presence to the Queens stop.
The suspect remained in custody Wednesday night as authorities worked to determine the sequence of events that led to the fatal confrontation between two passengers on an otherwise routine evening commute.