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Brooklyn subway attack: Children as young as 12 among victims as gunman fired 33 shots

'We have to ensure this specter of gun violence in our streets and in our subways ends once and for all,' Governor Kathy Hochul said while visiting two minor victims

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK: A number of kids also became the victims of a gunman who opened fire aboard a subway train in Brooklyn on Tuesday, April 12. At least five juveniles, including a 12-year-old, were reportedly going to school when the unidentified suspect fired nearly 33 shots and used “a canister of smoke” on the train, authorities said.

After the horrifying attack that injured 29 people, minors were rushed to Maimonides Hospital which took care of them. Maimonides Medical Center Chair of the Department Dr John Marshall said, “We were prepared to care for 10, 20, 30 patients if we needed to. Fortunately, we only had five -- three were in very good shape and were able to be discharged.”

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The 12-year-old did not suffer anything major and was discharged soon. But it has been said that a 16-year-old’s hand was majorly affected and he had to go through surgery. His recovery will reportedly take time. Hand surgeon Jack Choueka, who operated on the juvenile, said, “It was a pretty devastating injury to the thumb and it destroyed a lot of the bone, the joint, the tendons, the nerves but we were able to salvage the thumb and it's alive and he will need some more surgery.”

There was another 18-year-old victim, who had injuries on his leg. Two more juvenile victims, aged 13 and 15, who witnessed the Tuesday horror, did not need to be admitted to the hospital. Governor Kathy Hochul went to see the two victims at the Maimonides Hospital, where she said, “We have to ensure this specter of gun violence in our streets and in our subways ends once and for all.”

Chairman and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), Janno Lieber also added, “That commitment is redoubled today and we've seen it even before this event, more cops on the platform, more cops on transit.”

Meanwhile, Twitter was filled with reactions from people after the mass shooting that shook everyone. A user tweeted: “Praying for the speedy recovery of people involved in #BrooklynSubwayIncident. Hope the suspect is apprehended soon to follow legal actions, which we hope are stern. Looks like tagging of issue if it's A T-Word or Mental Health issue will be determined by who suspect is.”

Another user sarcastically wrote, “This is really the only place America is #1 anymore. NOBODY kills each other better than we do. But really, let's not rethink the guns. It's working so well for us.”

“Americans: how tf is this worth having guns for? In what possible f**king way to they enhance your supposedly developed country? Get rid of them ffs, catch up with the rest of the world, Jesus…” the third user advised.

“Just terrible. My heart goes out those injured and affected. The gunshots going off made me jump and scared me and I'm sitting safe and sound in my home so I cant imagine the terror these people must have felt...and yet I saw people calm and coordinating helping each other. ❤,” a person said.

Another one added, “Clearly, the only way to travel thought NYC is armed. I will not go into the subway without being armed. Had there been someone armed perhaps nit as many people would of been hurt.”