The White House announced Tuesday it would offer federal support to New York City in the wake of a Brooklyn subway shooting earlier in the day.
Speaking to the media aboard Air Force One, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the people of New York have President Joe Biden's full support.
"Anything they need, anything they want, we are here to help them and provide that to them," said Psaki, while adding the president had been briefed on the incident Tuesday morning.
Psaki also left open the possibility of Biden speaking directly with New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Tuesday, although no firm plans have been established. The president had a pre-scheduled trip to Iowa for the day.
According to Brooklyn police officials, 10 people incurred gunshot wounds during the incident, and 16 total were injured.
For the attack, an unknown assailant — who reportedly had a gas mask as face covering and wore a construction vest and hooded sweatshirt — released a smoke canister inside the subway station's N train, and then opened fire on unsuspecting passengers.
At the time of this writing, the shooting suspect remains at large, according to reports.
New York Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell initially said the investigation wasn't being viewed as an act of "terrorism." However, nothing could be ruled out, pending a full investigation.
Asked about the shooting incident, Psaki said local and New York-based federal officials were taking the lead on the investigation.
Tuesday's shooting comes just one day after President Biden announced a new regulation aimed at restricting so-called "ghost guns," which are reportedly untraceable and made from kits.
Also, New York City has experienced a rise in crime during the COVID-19 pandemic. While campaigning for his current post last year, Mayor Adams promised his administration would place a high priority on reducing crime.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.