New York City police have identified the man fatally shot inside a Midtown Manhattan subway station on Saturday and are seeking public assistance in locating the suspect.

The victim, Darrel Rodriguez, 26, was shot around 12:30 p.m. at the Seventh Avenue Station on 53rd Street, near Times Square. According to authorities, an unidentified man approached Rodriguez on the northbound train platform, drew a firearm, and shot him once in the chest. Rodriguez was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Police described the suspect as wearing a red tracksuit, black vest, and a face mask. The gunman fled the station on foot, heading north along Seventh Avenue. No arrests had been reported by early Monday.

A law enforcement official familiar with the investigation said the two men had been engaged in an argument, which escalated from the platform onto a train and then back to the platform before the shooting. It remains unclear what prompted the dispute or if it involved any physical contact prior to the shooting.

The incident has reignited calls for measures to improve security and aid police investigations in the subway system. Charlton D'Souza, president of the transit advocacy group Passengers United, urged New York officials to consider banning full-face coverings such as ski masks unless medically necessary. He argued that such masks hinder law enforcement’s ability to identify suspects. D'Souza pointed to Philadelphia’s policy, implemented in late 2023, which prohibits ski masks in certain public spaces including transit.

Rodriguez’s fraternal twin brother, Derick Rodriguez of Waco, Texas, spoke about the immediate aftermath of the shooting. He said he first became concerned when text messages sent to Darrel on Sunday morning went unanswered. After multiple attempts to reach him failed, Derick contacted police and family members, eventually learning of the shooting from a detective accompanying their mother.

“It’s like a black hole in your heart,” Derick said, describing the overwhelming grief and sense of loss. The twins grew up in the Bronx; Derick, older by a few minutes, left in 2021 to join the U.S. Army, while Darrel remained in the Bronx working as a security guard. Derick stated he did not know where his brother had been going at the time of the shooting.

Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the murder and are asking anyone with information to come forward.