Frank James, 62, had a sluggish demeanor during a brief hearing in federal court in Brooklyn, gently answering standard questions about whether he understood the charges and the hearing. His lawyer later asked the public not to prejudge him. James was arrested in Manhattan after calling police to say where he was on Wednesday, a day after the horrific attack. Authorities say he detonated smoke bombs and dozens of bullets on a train full of morning passengers. He is charged with federal felony criminal mischief for attacking public transport systems – authorities say there is currently no evidence linking him to terrorist organizations and they are still trying to motivate him. “The accused opened fire on passengers on a crowded subway train, disrupting their morning commute in a way the city has not seen for more than 20 years,” said Assistant Attorney General Sara K. Winik. “The accused’s attack was premeditated, carefully planned and caused terror to the victims and to our entire city.” The 10 victims of the shootings, aged 16 to 60, are expected to survive. Outside the courtroom, defense attorney Mia Eisner-Grynberg warned against “crisis rush.” “Initial reports in a case like this are often inaccurate,” he said. He told James he alerted police about his whereabouts for 30 hours in a manhunt that included cell phone alerts to the general public. Once he realized he was wanted, he “called on the Crime Stoppers to help,” said Eisner-Grynberg. He had agreed to be held without bail, at least for now. His lawyers could ask for bail later. At the request of James’s lawyers, Judge Roanne Mann said she would ask the Federal Bureau of Prisons to provide James with “psychiatric care” as well as magnesium tablets for leg cramps in the federal state of Brooklyn. James did not answer reporters’ questions Wednesday as he was taken by a police department to a car heading to a federal detention center. Authorities say a vault of evidence links James to the attack. At the scene of the shooting were found his bank card, his cell phone and a key of a van he had rented. Police also found the pistol, which they said was used in the shooting. Scout records show that James bought the gun from an authorized Ohio dealer in 2011. In court documents, prosecutors described the shooting as “calculated”, saying that James was wearing a hard hat and a worker-type jacket in disguise and then threw them after the fire to avoid identification. Prosecutors suggested James had the means to carry out more attacks, noting that he had ammunition and other weapons-related items at a Philadelphia storage facility. Born and raised in New York, James had recently lived in Milwaukee and then in Philadelphia. Investigators spent hours looking at videos that James posted on social media, including one the day before the attack, in which he made obscene remarks about racism, the treatment of blacks by society, homelessness and violence. He also spoke about his history of psychiatric treatment and complained about how the mayor of New York treats homeless people on the subway and gun violence. He also spoke of people being shot, prosecutors note in court documents.
Associated Press reporters Jim Mustian, Michael R. Sisak and Jennifer Peltz contributed.
