You're standing on the yellow tactile strip at 14th Street-Union Square. The wind kicks up from the tunnel, smelling of ozone and old dust. It’s 11:30 PM. You find yourself glancing over your shoulder, checking the space between you and the guy in the oversized hoodie leaning against the pillar. This is the New York experience in 2026. Even if you’ve lived here for twenty years, the recent headlines about subway murders New York City residents have seen lately tend to sit in the back of your skull like a cold weight.
Fear is a weird thing. It’s often disconnected from the actual math of the situation. But when the math includes high-profile shove deaths and late-night stabbings, the fear feels pretty rational.
The reality of crime underground isn't a straight line. It’s a jagged mess of mental health crises, policing debates, and a city trying to find its footing after the world turned upside down a few years ago. We aren't talking about the 1980s "Warriors" era anymore, but we also aren't in the remarkably safe "Disney-fied" era of the mid-2010s either. We’re in a new, stranger middle ground.
Why subway murders New York City data can be so misleading
Statistics are a bit of a shell game. If you look at the NYPD’s CompStat data, you might see that overall transit crime fluctuates, sometimes even dropping year-over-year. But averages don't matter when you're the one on the platform.
The NYPD Transit Bureau reports millions of riders every single day. Statistically, you are safer on a 4 train than you are walking down many surface-level streets. That's the logical truth. However, the nature of subway murders New York City has witnessed recently is what sticks in the collective craw of the public. It's the randomness.
Take the tragic case of Michelle Go in 2022. She was pushed in front of an R train at Times Square. She wasn't involved in a gang. She wasn't in a late-night brawl. She was just standing there. That specific brand of "wrong place, wrong time" violence creates a secondary trauma for the entire city. It changes how people stand on the platform. You’ll notice now that many New Yorkers stand with their backs against the wall or a structural pillar. We’ve been conditioned.
The Mental Health Nexus
We have to talk about the closing of psychiatric beds. Honestly, it’s the elephant in the tunnel. Experts like those at the Coalition for the Homeless and various mental health advocacy groups have pointed out for years that the subway system has become the city’s largest de facto shelter.
✨ Don't miss: Why the Air France Crash Toronto Miracle Still Changes How We Fly
When the state shifted away from institutionalization decades ago, the promise was "community-based care." But the community-based care never got the funding it needed. So, you end up with individuals in profound psychological distress living in a loud, screeching, high-stress transit environment. It’s a powder keg. Most people struggling with severe mental illness are victims of crime, not perpetrators, but the small percentage that do turn violent often do so in the transit system.
The National Guard and the "Theater" of Safety
Remember when Governor Kathy Hochul deployed the National Guard into the subways in 2024? That was a massive turning point in the public discourse. Some people felt a sigh of relief seeing the camouflage and the long guns at Grand Central. Others felt like they were living in a police state.
Basically, the "Bag Check" initiative was designed to deter people from bringing weapons into the system. Did it stop subway murders New York City was already grappling with? The data is mixed. While it might prevent a crime of opportunity, it doesn't do much to stop a person who is determined to cause harm or someone having a sudden, violent psychotic break.
Safety is a feeling.
Sometimes, the presence of more uniforms makes people feel less safe because it reinforces the idea that the area is dangerous enough to require an army. It's a psychological paradox.
Technology to the rescue?
The MTA has been piloting new platform screen doors. You’ve seen them in London, Paris, and Tokyo. They are physical glass barriers that only open when the train is in the station. It seems like a no-brainer, right?
Well, it’s New York.
Our stations are ancient. Some platforms can’t handle the weight of the glass. Some are too narrow. Others have curved edges that make alignment impossible. As of now, only a few stations, like the 191st Street station in Manhattan or the Sutphin Blvd-Archer Av station in Queens, have seen these tests. It’s an expensive, slow-moving solution for a problem that feels very urgent.
🔗 Read more: Robert Hanssen: What Most People Get Wrong About the FBI's Most Damaging Spy
Examining the most high-profile incidents
To understand the current climate, we have to look at the cases that changed the law.
- The Jordan Neely Case: This wasn't a "murder" in the traditional sense of a random attack, but a killing that polarized the city. Neely, a homeless man known for Michael Jackson impersonations, was acting erratically on an F train. Daniel Penny, a former Marine, put him in a chokehold. Neely died. This sparked a massive debate: Was Penny a vigilante or a Good Samaritan? The trial became a flashpoint for how New Yorkers view self-defense and the failures of the social safety net.
- The Sunset Park Shooting: Frank James set off smoke grenades and opened fire on an N train in 2022. Miraculously, no one died, but it terrified the city and highlighted how vulnerable the "rolling cans" of the subway truly are.
- The Random Stabbings: In early 2024, a string of stabbings involving teenagers and commuters forced the city to surge another 1,000 officers into the system.
The common thread isn't a "crime wave" in the way the tabloids describe it. It's a breakdown of social order in confined spaces.
What the experts say
Criminologists often point to "Routine Activity Theory." For a crime to happen, you need three things: a motivated offender, a suitable target, and the absence of a capable guardian.
In the subway, the "capable guardian" used to be the sheer volume of people. But since the pandemic, ridership patterns have shifted. While it's mostly back to normal, the "off-peak" hours—the times when subway murders New York City usually occur—are still thinner than they used to be. Less eyes on the street (or the tracks) means more opportunity for violence.
How to actually stay safe (The New Yorker’s Guide)
Let's cut the fluff. If you're riding the rails, you want to know what to actually do. This isn't about living in fear; it's about being "street smart" in a subterranean environment.
Choose the middle car.
There’s a reason the conductor's car is usually the safest. Look for the window with the zebra-striped board nearby. That’s where the conductor is. If something goes wrong, help is ten feet away.
💡 You might also like: Why the Recent Snowfall Western New York State Emergency Was Different
Ditch the noise-canceling headphones. I know, the screech of the 4/5/6 is deafening. But being "sound-blind" is a huge risk factor. If you must wear them, keep one ear out. You need to hear the tone of the car. You need to hear if someone is shouting or if there’s a commotion three doors down.
Mind the gap (literally).
Don't stand near the edge. Ever. Even if the platform is empty. It only takes one second for a "pusher" incident to happen. Stand by the stairs or against a pillar.
Trust the gut.
If a car feels "off," get out at the next station and move to the next car. Don't worry about being rude. Don't worry about overreacting. Your lizard brain is usually right about these things.
The Long-Term Outlook
Is the subway dying? No. It’s the lifeblood of the city. Without it, NYC ceases to function. The MTA is currently investing billions into "Communication-Based Train Control" (CBTC) and better lighting. There’s also the "Subway Co-Response Outreach Teams" (SCOUT), which pair police with mental health clinicians.
The goal is to stop treating every problem like a nail that needs a hammer. Sometimes you need a cop; sometimes you need a social worker with a bed to offer.
Actionable Steps for the Concerned Commuter
If you're worried about the state of subway murders New York City is facing, or just general transit safety, here are the real-world moves you can make:
- Download the MTA Transit Watch App. It allows you to discreetly report crimes or suspicious behavior without making a phone call. You can send photos and text directly to the NYPD Transit Bureau.
- Sign up for Notify NYC. Get real-time alerts about major incidents. Sometimes a "police investigation" delay is your signal to take a bus or an Uber instead.
- Engage with Community Boards. Safety isn't just about police; it's about station cleanliness and lighting. These boards have more sway over the MTA than you’d think.
- Know your exits. In many deep-tunnel stations, the elevator is your only way out if the stairs are blocked. Know where they are.
The subway is a reflection of the city above it. When New York is stressed, the subway is stressed. When the city's mental health system is failing, the stations become the front line. Stay alert, stay in the populated cars, and don't let the headlines keep you from the city. But don't ignore them either.
Navigate with your eyes open. That’s the only way to ride in 2026.