33 shots fired during rush hour on a Tuesday morning at Brooklyn’s 36th Street N Train Station. Ten people hit by gunfire, five critically injured, and a city rocked yet again by violence and terror.
Gunman Frank James has since been taken into custody and has quite the record. He has been arrested almost 10 times in New York on low-level charges along with suspicion of arson and reckless endangerment. He is said to have changed addresses often and also has legal records in the other states in which he has lived. For more information on the suspect, the New York Times offers a thorough background on James.
Many New Yorkers are frustrated with new Mayor Eric Adams because a big part of his campaign was increasing NYPD around the city. Adams especially heightened police presence in subways to prevent fare evasion and turn-style jumping. However, despite the overloading occupancy of the NYPD, violent activities were still being carried out. New Yorkers’ frustration is coming from the fact that Adam’s number one priority is not even preventing harm and life-threatening activity, but rather stationing intimidating officers that focus on fining residents $100 for a $2.75 fare.
So why does this matter for Northeastern students? For people all over America?
This is not the first time New York City has been terrorized in a high-traffic area, nor is it the first time that any city, neighborhood, or town has been terrorized in America. It’s evident that America has a gun control problem. It is also clear that our elected officials need to be better. They need to be better at advocating for their citizens and protecting our nation’s well-being. This is not to say the citizens are faultless, after all, it is we who elected them. We need to be better educated and informed on our candidates since such are the consequences.
New Yorkers this past Mayoral election were given fairly bleak options and because Eric Adams is a Black vegan, many gave him the benefit of the doubt that he would be more democratic than he is in actuality. This should be a warning for all Americans. I know we were all taught as children to not judge a book by its cover, but I urge you to return to your roots. Educate yourself on your elected officials. Do not let looks or PR discourage you from doing your research. I want to make it clear that I would not have wanted the beret-wearing Curtis Sliwa as my mayor. However, it is frightening to see that despite the Mayor’s number one priority being an influx of NYPD, violence is still being carried out and it seems as though the NYPD is not doing all that much to prevent it.
It is absurd that cities across the nation are constantly ridden with gun violence and threatening behavior, and it’s time for us to wake up and try to do something about it. Northeastern students, Boston locals, Massachusetts rural residents — anyone and everyone, this affects you and it matters. Speak up and educate yourself.