New York’s Eastern District Attorney Breon Peace announced the indictment against Frank R. James, 62, in an afternoon press conference. James was taken into custody in Manhattan’s East Village neighborhood a little earlier. Law enforcement officers located James after police received information about his whereabouts. James is accused of the attack on Tuesday morning that left five people in critical condition, although the 10 victims of the shootings were expected to survive. The charge against him carries a sentence of up to life imprisonment. Police initially said Tuesday that James was wanted for questioning because he had rented a van possibly linked to the attack, but they were not sure if he was responsible for the shooting. This image provided by the New York Police Department shows a bulletin displaying photographs of the accused, Frank R. James. Investigators said Tuesday they were looking for James, who is believed to have rented a truck possibly linked to the attack. (NYPD / The Associated Press)
In recent months, James has spoken out in online videos about racism and violence in the United States and about his experiences with mental health care in New York. In some videos, he criticized New York Mayor Eric Adams’s policies on mental health and subway safety.

Numerous indications

The gunman fired smoke grenades at a crowded subway car and then fired at least 33 shots with a nine-millimeter pistol, police said. Five victims of the shootings were in critical condition, but the 10 injured from the shootings are expected to survive. At least a dozen others who survived the shootings were treated for smoke inhalation and other injuries. The sniper escaped into the chaos, but left behind many items, such as the weapon, ammunition cartridges, an ax, smoke grenades, gasoline and the key to a U-Haul van. That key led researchers to James, a New Yorker who had more recent addresses in Philadelphia and Wisconsin. Federal investigators have found that the firearm used in the shooting was purchased by James at a pawnshop – an authorized firearms dealer – in Columbus, Ohio in 2011, a law enforcement official said. CLOCKS Witnesses describe a chaotic scene:

Witnesses in a Brooklyn subway shooting describe a chaotic scene

Chaos erupted on a Brooklyn subway train during rush hour Tuesday morning after a gunman opened fire and fired a canister of smoke, injuring at least 12 people. 3:09
The van was found, empty, near a station where investigators found that the gunman had entered the subway. No explosives or firearms were found in the van, a police official said. Police found other items, including pillows, suggesting he may have been sleeping or planning to sleep in the van, the official said. Investigators believe James left Philadelphia on Monday and looked at surveillance video showing a man matching his physical description getting out of the van early Tuesday morning, the official said. Another video shows James entering a Brooklyn subway station with a large bag, the official said.

Social media posts

In addition to analyzing financial and telephone records linked to James, the researchers looked at hours of commotion, videos full of profanity posted by James on YouTube and other social media platforms – full of violent language and fanatics. as they tried to discern a motive. In a video released the day before the attack, James criticized the crime against blacks and said drastic action was needed. “You have kids going here now they take machine guns and cut innocent people,” says James. “It will not improve until we improve it,” he said, adding that he believed things would only change if some people were “trampled, kicked and tortured” out of their “comfort zone”. Passengers leave the metro station where the shootings took place on Wednesday. (John Minchillo / The Associated Press)
In another video, he says, “This nation was born out of violence, kept alive by its violence or threat, and will die a violent death. There is nothing that can stop it.” Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell called the posts “irrelevant” and officials tightened security for Adams, who was already in solitary confinement following a positive COVID-19 test on Sunday. Several of James’s videos mention the New York subway. A February 20 video says the mayor and governor’s plan to tackle homelessness and security in the metro system is “doomed to failure” and refers to himself as a “victim” of the city’s mental health programs. A January 25 video criticizes Adams’ plan to end armed violence. Frank Robert James had nowhere else to run or hide – and is now in NYPD custody. The work of our detectives is not inferior to anyone and the dedication of our patrols never ends. pic.twitter.com/uOXliUvoJ7 – @ NYPDPC
Brooklyn Underground Station, where passengers escaped the smoky train in the attack, was open as usual Wednesday morning, less than 24 hours after the violence. Passenger Jude Jacques, who takes train D to his job as firefighter about two blocks from the set, said he prays every morning but had a special request Wednesday. “I said, ‘My God, everything is in your hands,’” Jacques said. “I was an ant, and you can imagine why. Everyone is scared because it just happened.”