Two girls were found dead early Saturday morning at the Marcy Avenue subway station in Brooklyn after an apparent subway surfing incident, New York City police confirmed.
Officers responded to a 911 call at approximately 3:10 a.m. and discovered two unconscious and unresponsive females who were pronounced dead at the scene.
The Deputy Commissioner Public Information (DCPI) of the NYPD told Newsweek that the investigation remains ongoing, with the identification of the deceased pending family notification.
Police have not released the victims’ ages or identities at this time.
Why It Matters
This tragedy highlights the escalating crisis of subway surfing in New York City, where deaths from the practice have been steadily increasing. Six people died while subway surfing in 2024, up from five in 2023, indicating a troubling upward trend despite extensive public safety campaigns.
The deaths also represent a demographic shift in subway surfing casualties.
While the practice has historically involved mostly boys with an average age of 14, this incident involving two girls suggests the dangerous trend may be expanding across different demographics, potentially requiring new approaches to prevention and education.
What To Know
Police responded to a 911 call at the Marcy Avenue stop in Brooklyn just after 3 a.m. Saturday, finding two unconscious and unresponsive females who were pronounced dead at the scene.
While authorities have not identified the victims or released their ages, New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow confirmed in a statement that they were “young girls” involved in the incident. The grieving families and transit workers who discovered the bodies have been described as “horribly shaken by this tragedy.”
Subway surfing involves riding on the outside of moving subway trains, typically on top of cars or clinging to the sides. The practice dates back approximately a century but has experienced a resurgence due to social media platforms where videos of the activity often go viral. The extreme danger comes from multiple factors: low clearance in tunnels, electrical hazards from the third rail, sudden train movements, and the risk of falling onto tracks or platforms.
The NYPD reported that arrests for alleged subway surfing rose to 229 in 2024, up from 135 the previous year. Most arrested individuals were boys, with the youngest being just 9 years old. The actual number of incidents is likely higher, as many go undetected or unreported until tragedy strikes.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has implemented multiple strategies to combat the problem, including deploying drones to identify surfers in real-time, requesting social media companies remove videos that glamorize the activity, and promoting public service announcements with the message “Ride inside, stay alive.”
Despite these efforts, the combination of peer pressure, social media influence, and teenage risk-taking behavior continues to drive participation in this deadly activity.
What People Are Saying
New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow: “It’s heartbreaking that two young girls are gone because they somehow thought riding outside a subway train was an acceptable game. Parents, teachers and friends need to be clear with loved ones: getting on top of a subway car isn’t ‘surfing’ — it’s suicide.”
NYPD Deputy Commissioner Public Information told Newsweek: “On Saturday, October 4, 2025, at approximately 0310 hours, police responded to a 911 call of two aides at the Marcy Avenue/Broadway subway station, within the confines of the 90 Precinct/Transit District 33. Upon arrival, officers observed two unidentified females, unconscious and unresponsive. EMS responded and pronounced the two aided females deceased at the scene. The investigation is ongoing. The identification of the deceased is pending family notification.”
NYPD Chief of Transit Joseph M. Gulotta posted on X in 2024: “The dangers of subway surfing are real & its consequences potentially life-altering. With our youngest & most impressionable NYers returning to the subways since the return to school, a reminder to those who’d consider this dangerous act – think twice.”
What Happens Next
The NYPD investigation remains ongoing, with identification of the victims pending family notification.
Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.