After shots in the New York subway, the number of injured has risen to at least 23.

"10 people were injured by gunfire and another 13 were either injured while rushing out of the station or suffered from smoke inhalation," Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said at a news conference on Tuesday evening (local time).

However, none of them are in mortal danger.

The police had previously spoken of at least 16 injuries.

Meanwhile, police are looking for a possible suspect.

The authorities said at a press conference on Tuesday (local time) that it was a 62-year-old man who had rented a pickup truck in Philadelphia.

The keys to this rented pickup truck were found in a bag on the subway, which could possibly be assigned to the perpetrator.

The pickup truck was found parked in another part of Brooklyn after the incident.

"person of interest"

The 62-year-old man, who has residences in Philadelphia and Wisconsin, is therefore classified as a "person of interest", but it is still unclear whether he could also be the perpetrator, it said at the press conference.

So far no one has been arrested.

It is also suspected that the man is the author of several publications on social media.

In it, the author complains about New York, Mayor Eric Adams and homelessness, among other things.

The authorities did not want to give any further details.

The police protection of Adams will be increased as a precaution, it said.

Adams is currently in isolation at his residence on Manhattan's Upper East Side due to an infection with the corona virus.

In the incident, according to initial findings, a man suddenly put on a type of gas mask on a train on Tuesday morning in the middle of the morning rush hour in Brooklyn, New York, just before the 36th Street station and then opened canisters from which fog or smoke flowed.

He then opened fire and fired 33 shots, police said.

“Not currently under investigation as an act of terrorism”

The motive was initially unclear, said police chief Keechant Sewell.

"This is currently not being investigated as a terrorist act." However, the investigations have only been running for a few hours, the situation can still change, and nothing is ruled out.

A fire brigade spokesman initially told the AFP news agency that several "unexploded" suspected explosive devices had been found on site.

There are currently no active explosive devices on the New York subway.

Videos showed people pouring out of a subway car at the 36th Street station in the Sunset Park neighborhood surrounded by clouds of fog or smoke, some lying on the ground, blood was seen, others tended to the injured .