A man from Ohio was attacked Friday night in Times Square subway station with an AK-47 assault rifle and a gas mask, law enforcement sources said.
The 18-year-old, whose identity was not immediately released, was arrested without incident at around 12:30 on the interface of the metro station of the A, C and E lines.
Sources say the teenager sat down and loaded his cellphone into the station with the weapon outside him in sight, when uniformed police spotted him.
The teenager had taken the firearm out of a pocket moments earlier, sources said.
The AK-47 was unloaded, but the teenager reportedly had a fully loaded magazine in his backpack, along with the gas mask.
He told police he believes a gun with the ammunition stored separately is legal in New York City, a high-ranking police source said.
Authorities brought the teenager to the NYPD’s Transit District 1 where they questioned him, sources said.
Fans were amazed at the news that someone in the busy station was armed with an assault weapon.
“Oh my God,” said train driver Victoria Campos, 36, of New Jersey. “In New York, it’s not safe anymore.”
“Maybe they should put a metal detector here when people are walking,” she added.
Additional reporting by Steven Vago