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Police search for gunman who critically wounded man on a BART train in Oakland

A Bay Area Rapid Transit train approaches the Fruitvale station Saturday, Oct. 12, 2013, in Oakland, Calif. A major San Francisco Bay Area transit system ran trains as usual on Saturday after labor negotiations were extended past a midnight deadline, but the threat of a commute-disrupting strike loomed with the unions promising to walk off the job Monday if weekend talks fail to reach a deal. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
A man was shot multiple times on a BART train in Oakland on Friday. (Ben Margot / Associated Press)

Police are searching for a gunman who shot and critically wounded a man onboard a BART train in Oakland on Friday afternoon, authorities said.

Surveillance video shows the suspect shooting at the victim multiple times inside the train at the Fruitvale station at 1:25 p.m., said BART Police Chief Ed Alvarez. The victim, who was not identified, was taken to Highland Hospital with life-threatening injuries, Alvarez said.

The male suspect got off the train and remains at large, Alvarez said.

It's unclear what prompted the attack, he said.

Police closed the Lake Merritt station as investigators gathered evidence and searched for the suspect.

A police officer got to the victim immediately after the shooting was reported and was able to use a tourniquet on the man's arm to stop the loss of blood, Alvarez said. The officer also applied pressure to another wound on the man's leg until paramedics arrived.

The investigation resulted in closing of the Lake Merritt station and delays on the Berryessa line. The station was reopened after 2 p.m., but BART officials said commuters should still expect delays.

Police have interviewed multiple witnesses who were on the train at the time of the shooting, and reviewed video from the train. The shooting, Alvarez said, did not appear to be a random attack.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.