Daniel Enriquez, 48, was riding the Q train into Manhattan on Sunday morning. A heartbroken family member tells ABC News that he was a son of Mexican immigrants with a masters from NYU and had a career in finance.
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Police have no idea why he would be the target of gun violence.
"According to witnesses, the suspect was walking back and forth in the same train car, and without provocation, pulled out a gun and fired it at the victim at close range as the train was crossing the Manhattan Bridge," said NYPD Chief Kenneth Corey.
The shooter then fled into the Canal Street station and ran off. Police say there is plenty of surveillance video to go through, but they have yet to share an image of the man they are looking for.
Enriquez was taken to Bellevue Hospital where he died of a gunshot wound to the chest.
The operator of that Q train released a statement through the TWU, describing his effort to give the wounded man chest compressions, saying,
"I went to work expecting to do my regular job, not expecting be first person to a shooting, trying to help a person who was shot, someone with gunshot wound. We're not trained for that. How can we mentally prepare for something like that?"
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An eyewitness to the aftermath saw a lot of people running.
"Our car cleared out relatively quickly and so I just started following everyone else. Everyone isn't running for no reason," said Matthew Chavan of Brooklyn.
Fellow riders are now wondering how they will be safe.
Andrew Park rides to Canal Street for work and lives not far from where the subway attack targeting random riders happened in Sunset Park last month.
"I just cross my fingers every morning, hope that doesn't happen. But yeah, I do feel unsafe," Park said.
"Whenever I'm waiting for the train, I keep my hands off my pockets. I don't stay too close to the platform edge, you know. I don't like people standing behind me, because it's not safe. So I guess you always have to keep your eyes open," added Fred Ones.
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Police are going over video and asking any witnesses to the shooting to come forward. They are hoping to develop leads that will lead to a quick arrest so subway riders can feel a little safer as they head into work during the week.
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). All calls will be kept anonymous.
The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, on Twitter @NYPDTips or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577.