Family and friends are mourning 26-year-old Darrel Anthony Rodriguez after he was fatally shot inside a busy Midtown Manhattan subway station on Saturday. Those who knew him say he was a familiar and well-liked member of the University Heights community in the Bronx, where he grew up.
Rodriguez’s death has left childhood friends struggling to understand how someone they had known for years could become the victim of a deadly shooting.
“He’s a nice kid, bro. I don’t know why they did that to him,” one childhood friend said through tears, asking not to be identified. He recalled knowing Rodriguez when he was young and remembered his father, who once owned a neighborhood barbershop.
“I miss him,” the friend said.
Hotel Security Worker Killed at Midtown Subway Station
Rodriguez worked in hotel security at a Midtown Manhattan hotel near the 7th Avenue and 53rd Street subway station, where the shooting occurred Saturday afternoon.
Police said Rodriguez was shot in the chest on the northbound E train platform shortly after noon. Emergency medical personnel rushed him to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
His death shocked people who knew him and those who witnessed the incident.
“I wouldn’t think it would be somebody I know, and when I seen it on the news, I didn’t think it would be right here,” childhood friend Devante Hall said.
For Rodriguez’s friends, the loss has been especially difficult because of his longstanding ties to the community where he spent his early years.
Twin Brother Describes the Loss
Rodriguez leaves behind two brothers, including his fraternal twin, Derick, who lives in Texas and enlisted in the Army.
Speaking to The New York Times, Derick described the pain of losing his twin brother.
“It’s like a black hole in your heart,” he said, explaining that the grief felt even deeper because of their unique bond.
His words reflect the profound loss facing a family now trying to cope with Rodriguez’s death while police continue searching for the person responsible.
Police Search for Suspect in Red Tracksuit
The NYPD is continuing its investigation and searching for the suspect, who was seen in surveillance images wearing a red tracksuit and a black face covering.
Police said the suspect should be considered armed and dangerous.
According to authorities, Rodriguez and the suspect got into an argument on the subway platform shortly after noon. Gunfire then sent commuters scrambling for safety as hundreds of people rushed to leave the area.
Christopher Myron was aboard a Queens-bound E train when the shots rang out.
“We started running and all the other people started following suit,” Myron recalled.
The shooting has also raised concerns among some subway riders about their personal safety while using New York City’s transit system.
“Honestly, before that I thought it was fairly safe,” Myron said. “After that, to be honest, a little nervous to get on the subway right now.”
Subway Homicides Raise Safety Concerns
Rodriguez’s killing was reported as the seventh homicide in New York City’s transit system so far in 2026, exceeding the four homicides reported for all of 2025, according to the figures cited in the original report.
Despite the number of killings, an NYPD spokesperson told PIX11 News that 2025 was the safest year on record for the transit system and that 2026 was shaping up to be the second-safest year.
The figures offer broader context for the concerns expressed by commuters following the shooting. However, the annual homicide totals alone do not establish the overall level of risk faced by subway passengers.
For Rodriguez’s family and friends, the focus remains on remembering a young man whose life was cut short and seeking answers about what happened.
As the NYPD continues its search, those who knew Rodriguez are left grieving a son, brother, and childhood friend whose loss has deeply affected the University Heights community.