Darrel Rodriguez was a 26-year-old security guard who was making his way home to the University Heights neighborhood of the Bronx after a shift. He was a beloved son, brother, and friend, remembered by those who knew him for his character and dedication.
On the afternoon of Saturday, October 17, 2026, Rodriguez was on his commute home through Manhattan. Around noon, while on a northbound train, he reportedly confronted another passenger who was smoking marijuana in the subway car.
The dispute escalated, moving from the train onto the platform of the 53rd Street-Seventh Avenue station in Midtown, a busy hub serving the B, D, and E lines. At some point during the altercation, the other individual pulled out a gun and shot Rodriguez once in the chest. The gunman then fled the station, heading north on Seventh Avenue. First responders arrived quickly and transported Rodriguez to Bellevue Hospital, but the injury was too severe. He was pronounced dead shortly after 1 p.m.
The New York City Police Department immediately launched an investigation. Detectives recovered a .9-millimeter shell casing from inside the subway car and began analyzing surveillance video from the station and train. The MTA coordinated with the NYPD to provide footage from platform and train car cameras. Police soon released images of a person of interest, described as a man wearing a red tracksuit, a black puffer vest, a black face mask, and carrying a backpack. The brazen daytime shooting, which sent terrified commuters running for cover, was the seventh homicide to occur within the city's transit system that year.
The manhunt for the suspect lasted five days. On Thursday, October 22, 17-year-old Xavian Collins surrendered to police at the Midtown North Precinct, accompanied by his attorney. Collins, who had no prior arrests, was identified as the individual in the surveillance footage. He was charged with murder and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon. Following his arrest, he was arraigned and ordered held without bail.
The killing drew sharp condemnation from city and transit officials. MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber praised the NYPD detectives for their swift work and called for "maximum justice" for Darrel Rodriguez, who he noted was "simply on his way home from work." The incident also reignited debates among transit advocates and officials about safety in the subway system, with some calling for stricter measures, including a potential ban on face coverings to aid in identifying suspects.
In the wake of the tragedy, family and friends mourned the senseless loss of a young man just trying to get home. The case against Xavian Collins is now moving through the court system. As of October 2026, the prosecution is pending, with the community and Rodriguez's loved ones awaiting the outcome of the legal proceedings.
