A 20-year-old man was fatally shot on an LIRR train in Ronkonkoma early Wednesday — by someone he was traveling with, according to a law enforcement source.
Yusef Staine, of West Babylon, was shot around 1:45 a.m. on a train set to depart for Penn Station six minutes later, according to Suffolk County Police Department and an MTA Police spokesman. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The man who police believe fatally shot Staine fled the scene, according to the spokesman and the Suffolk County Police Department.
A law enforcement source told The Post the two men had traveled from Wyandanch to Penn Station, then back out to Ronkonkoma, the end of the line. The shooting happened while LIRR workers had taken the train out of service and were preparing to send it back to Manhattan.
The shooting was caught on video that’s been turned over to the Suffolk County District Attorney, the source said. Neither of the men paid their fares and were given IOU slips by the LIRR. Both the victim and the alleged suspect were wearing masks and did not have any cash on them.
Yusef Staine was fatally shot while riding an LIRR train. Facebook/Yusef StainePolice suspect they might have been homeless, according to the source.
The train where the shooting happened was canceled, as well as an eastbound train at Central Islip that was heading to Ronkonkoma.
There were two or three other passengers on the train at the time of the shooting, Suffolk PD said at a news conference.
Suffolk County police investigate the shooting. Dennis A. Clark for the N.Y.Post“I’d like to stress this is not a random event. No other passengers were in danger,” Lt. Kevin Beyrer told reporters.
The motive for the deadly shooting was not immediately known, and police said it was an isolated incident with no other injuries.
Beyrer said there is “no indication” that the killing was gang related, but the investigation is still in its early stages.
Ronkonkoma Branch customers were told they could face five- to 10-minute delays during their morning commutes.
MTA Police and the Suffolk County police are conducting a joint investigation into the homicide.
Authorities provided no details on the identity of the suspect. Relatives of Staine could not be immediately reached Wednesday.
