In our NYC bureau’s backyard, a subway shooting and a mystery continues to unfold

Many questions need to be answered about what happened on a commuter subway train on Tuesday morning, says David Taintor

People ride the R train during the morning commute on Wednesday in Sunset Park – one day after the subway attack (Getty)

The morning rush hour shooting in a New York City subway car has violently shattered the new “normal” in the nation’s largest metropolis.

The city had already been struggling to recover from the brutal toll of the coronavirus pandemic, which hit New York especially hard in the spring of 2020. Thousands of New Yorkers died. Streets were empty. Tourists disappeared as travel was restricted. Many residents simply picked up and left, decamping to less cramped quarters.

Today, the city is undeniably full of life. Restaurants are packed. Sidewalks are full. But problems remain. Rising rents and the skyrocketing cost of living have hit the most vulnerable New Yorkers especially hard, shining a stark light on the city’s widening inequality. Empty storefronts are a common sight in some of the busiest areas of Manhattan, a sign that the economic recovery is incomplete.