A masked gunman shot at least 10 people on a subway train in Brooklyn, New York on April 12, prompting increased transit system security not only in New York City but also in major Canadian cities including Toronto and Vancouver.
The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) has increased its police presence following the shooting, and now, so is Vancouver.
"Due to the recent events on the transit system in Brooklyn, we are being extra vigilant," says Amanda Steed, Metro Vancouver Transit Police Media Relations Officer.
"We are deploying our officers in high visibility vests. They're going to be on the platform, they're going to be on the trains. They're going to be more visible than they would normally be on any given day. We regularly have a daily deployment of an explosive detection dog working on shift every single day that will be available to us should the need arise to use him."
Though an incident like the shooting in New York is unlikely to happen in Canada, says Steed, it is still possible. In a situation where commuters do find themselves in a dangerous situation, Steed says that finding cover and remaining calm is the best way to survive.
"First and foremost, you want to make sure that you can try and get safe," says Steed, adding that this may look like taking cover or laying down on the ground. If the incident is inside a train car, continues Steed, "The best thing you could do is just get down. Just get down. Cover your head. If you're on the platform, try and find some type of cover. Something that could potentially stop a bullet."
"The most underrated piece of advice is to just try and stay calm," she adds. "You don't want to cause panic. I know it is a stressful situation, but you want to try and stay calm, just get covered and really just survive."
