Overview

• Officers responded to a 911 call around 3:10 a.m. Saturday at Marcy Avenue in Williamsburg and found two unidentified females unconscious on a J train; EMS pronounced them dead at the scene.
• Police are investigating the case as a possible subway surfing incident, with the victims discovered on the roof of the train as it entered the station; service was briefly rerouted and later resumed.
• NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow called the deaths heartbreaking and urged adults to warn youths that riding outside subway cars is fatal, noting transit workers were shaken by the discovery.
• Officials say enforcement and prevention have intensified, including real-time drone surveillance since late 2023, influencer-led safety messages and thousands of social media takedowns tied to the stunt.
• NYPD data show six people died in 2024 and arrests rose to roughly 229 last year, and the department reports more than 200 drone-enabled interventions since 2023 as officials push to deter copycats.