Transit advocates call for ban on face coverings in NYC subway system following deadly Midtown shooting

As the search continues for a suspect in the deadly shooting inside a New York City subway station, transportation advocates and the MTA are calling for reforms to keep riders safe.

The victim was gunned down in the vicinity of the northbound E train platform at 53rd Street and Seventh Avenue in Manhattan just after 12:20 p.m. on Saturday, following an argument with another man, police said.

Police said the person they are looking for fled on foot and was last seen wearing a red outfit and a black face covering.

Transit advocates are now calling for a ban on face coverings.

"If they are entering the station at the point of sale with the OMNY, they should have to pull down their mask, and at the platform they should have to do the same," said Charlton D'Souza, founder and president of Passengers United.

The MTA did not make mention of that in its official statement to CBS News New York but did say it supports efforts from state lawmakers to prohibit concealed carrying of firearms within subway stations, subway cars, and MTA buses.

Notably, the state recently passed legislation mandating video cameras on all train cars. The MTA said it is reviewing Saturday's footage to determine if the shooting happened on the platform or inside of the train car.

The NYPD said crime in the subway system is up less than 1% this year compared to last year, driven by felony assaults and nonviolent grand larcenies. And it's happening despite a record number of gun arrests in the transit system this year.

The victim in Saturday's shooting has not yet been identified by police but is said to be in his 30s.

"I heard the gunshots, so everyone just threw themselves on the floor. We sat for a while and someone said get off the train. We got off and saw the police working on the gentleman that was shot," witness Paul Sampson said.