The New York Blood Center continues to experience a shortage of blood supply and is calling on volunteers to donate blood if they can. The urgency had been made all the greater in light of the mass shooting which took place in Brooklyn on Tuesday morning, April 12, where reportedly 10 people were shot and 13 more injured according to police.

 

At 8.27 a.m. FDNY officials said units were dispatched to the subway station at 36th Street and 4th Avenue in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn for a report of smoke in the station. Upon arrival, FDNY Fire and EMS units were met with multiple injured people, some with gun shot wounds.

 

“This morning, the FDNY received reports of gunshot victims in the subway. Thanks to their quick response they were able to treat 16 patients, 10 of those patients are suffering from gun shot wounds, and five of them are in critical but stable condition in our local hospitals,” said acting FDNY commissioner, Laura Kavanagh, during a press conference following the incident. To date, there have been no reported fatalities, according to the NYPD, though some patients were reported to be in critical condition.

 

I'm with @NYPDNews and @MTA in Sunset Park to give New Yorkers an update on this morning's shooting. Watch Live: https://t.co/nUVvqiryaH

— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) April 12, 2022

The NY Daily News reported earlier this morning that a gunman in a gas mask and construction vest shot at least 10 passengers in at the 36th Street subway station in Brooklyn subway, serving the R line. At least 6 others were injured. The NYPD has sealed off the area and U.S. President Joe Biden has been advised of the incident and has offered assistance to Mayor Eric Adams.

 

At a press conference later on Tuesday morning, Gov. Kathy Hochul described the incident as an active shooter situation, as the gunman has not yet been apprehended. Police have since released a photo of a person of interest by the name of Frank James, and have appealed for help from witnesses.

 

 

January marked National Blood Donor Month and was a reminder of the constant need for a strong blood supply, particularly when the region’s supply remained critically low amid the omicron surge. Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 cannot donate blood.

UVIS Activation: Call 311 if unable to reach someone who may have been impacted by the NYPD activity located near 36th Street and 4th Avenue in Brooklyn. If outside NYC, call 212-639-9675.

— NYCEM – Notify NYC (@NotifyNYC) April 12, 2022

 

The New York Blood Center (NYBC) said the region’s blood supply continues to be threatened by low donor turnout and prior blood drive cancellations due to the high levels of Omicron cases in the earlier part of the year.

 

NYPD executives join City and State Officials to discuss the earlier shooting incident in Brooklyn. https://t.co/4l10kjm5OK

— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) April 12, 2022

 

Blood centers across the country are and have been suffering from shortages since the start of the pandemic in March of 2020. “A strong blood supply is essential and can be threatened at any time with emergencies such as inclement weather, which we are currently seeing with the snow storm to our south, and the surge of Omicron cases that we are seeing nationwide,” said Andrea Cefarelli, senior executive director at New York Blood Center (NYBC).

 

@POTUS has been briefed on the latest developments regarding the New York City subway shooting. White House senior staff are in touch with Mayor Adams and Police Commissioner Sewell to offer any assistance as needed.

— Jen Psaki (@PressSec) April 12, 2022

 

Donating blood is safe and only takes one hour. NYBC officials said they are taking extra precautions to help prevent the person-to-person spread of COVID-19. All NYBC staff are vaccinated. As always, people are not eligible to donate if they’re experiencing a cold, sore throat, respiratory infection or flu-like symptoms. People can donate blood regardless of vaccination status. Additional information on donor eligibility and COVID-19 precautions is available here.

 

UPDATE: Expect delays & service changes on D/N/R/F trains in Brooklyn and Manhattan. W/B/R trains are suspended in Brooklyn. https://t.co/ENIxXVnNZ4. Multilingual & ASL Link: https://t.co/WDXBcKR1x4. https://t.co/2Fi1n7BOfa

— NYCEM – Notify NYC (@NotifyNYC) April 12, 2022

 

Donors can schedule appointments by calling 1-800-933-2566 or clicking button below to schedule online: SCHEDULE APPOINTMENT

 

Heartbroken by this morning’s news of a shooting in a Brooklyn train station. We are monitoring this horrific situation closely and praying for our Brooklyn brothers and sisters. https://t.co/0T1GBJC8D2

— Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson (@bronxbp) April 12, 2022

Police released a photo of a person of interest, Frank James, in the investigation into the subway mass shooting on Tuesday evening.

This is Frank James who is a person of interest in this investigation. Any information can be directed to @NYPDTips at 800-577-TIPS. pic.twitter.com/yBpenmsX67

— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) April 12, 2022

The FBI also said the investigation was an ongoing one and has appealed to the public to submit any further tips to fbi.gov/brooklynshooting.

 

On Wednesday, April 13, police confirmed that James was officially categorized as a suspect in the case, and later on Wednesday, the NYPD confirmed that James had been arrested.

 

A person arrested and charged with a crime is innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law.