New York Governor Kathy Hochul Rides the Subway to Reassure New Yorkers After Brooklyn Attack

Julie Wood/Twitter

New York Governor Kathy Hochul rode the NYC subway during Tuesday's evening rush hour to put commuters at ease after the morning attack on a Brooklyn subway car.

The governor, 63, joined commuters on Tuesday night following the incident.

"Thank you to our MTA [Metropolitan Transit Authority] workers who always keep New Yorkers moving," Hochul wrote in the caption alongside a photo she shared on her social media.

RELATED: 'This Person Is Dangerous': What We Know About Brooklyn Subway Shooter, Who Remains at Large

Her decision to ride the subway comes after a terrifying morning on the transit system, when an armed assailant pulled out a smoke canister from his backpack and threw it on the ground before opening fire inside a Manhattan-bound N train, police said.

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The attack occurred while the train was waiting to enter the 36th Street Station in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn. 23 people were injured in the attack, including ten with gunshot wounds while 13 others suffered injuries due to other factors like smoke inhalation, falling down, and panic.

Before the attack, the suspect put on a gas mask, police also said. When the shooting began, the train was paused before pulling into the station, which meant the passengers were essentially trapped in the train for those harrowing moments.

RELATED VIDEO: 16 Injured, 10 with Gunshot Wounds, in Shooting on N.Y.C. Subway — as Suspect Remains at Large

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Yav Montano, who was in the train car, told CNN that after smoke filled the car, he heard "what I thought was fireworks" but was actually gunshots. "I honestly have no words for what I've experienced," he told the network.

In a news conference on Tuesday night, NYBD Chief of Detectives James Essig named Frank R. James as a person of interest in connection to the shooting.

"As the train approached the 36th station, witnesses state the male opened up two smoke grenades, tossed them on the subway floor, and brandished a Glock 9mm handgun. He then fired that weapon at least 33 times, striking 10 people. The male then fled the scene and detectives are actively trying to determine his whereabouts," said Essig.

RELATED: Eyewitnesses Describe Horror of Brooklyn Subway Shooting, as Suspect Remains at Large

Essig also said that authorities recovered a Glock 17 9mm handgun and three extended-type Glock magazines – noting that one was still in the weapon, one was under the seat, and one was in a backpack.

Thirty-three discharged shell cases, 15 bullets, five bullet fragments, two detonated smoke grenades, two non-detonated smoke grenades, a hatchet, a black garbage can, a black rolling cart, gasoline, and a U-Haul key were also recovered from the scene.

"The U-Haul key at the scene led us to the recovery of a U-Haul van a short while ago in Brooklyn," Essig continued, noting that the van was rented in Philadelphia, where James, 62, is said to have an address. Essig also told reporters they believe James also has an address in Wisconsin.

"We are endeavoring to locate him to determine his connection to the subway shooting, if any. The two crime scenes, the subway and the van, are very active and are still being processed," Essig said, asking that anyone with information about the shooting or anyone who can identify the perpetrator or the renter of the vehicle to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.