The investigation focused in part on a man who police say rented a van possibly linked to the violence. Investigators said they were not sure if the man, Frank R. James, 62, was responsible for the shooting. However, authorities were looking into social media videos apparently created by James, some of which mention the city’s mayor, Eric Adams. Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell called the positions “irrelevant” and officials tightened security for Adams. The gunman fired smoke grenades at a packed subway car and then fired at least 33 shots with a 9mm pistol, police said. Five victims of the shootings were in critical condition but are expected to survive. At least 12 people were hospitalized for smoke inhalation and other injuries. Members of the New York Police Department and emergency personnel gather on the streets near a Brooklyn subway station after shots were fired at the station Tuesday morning. (Angela Weiss / AFP / Getty Images)
The passengers were crying and praying
One passenger, Jordan Javier, thought the first sound he heard was a book falling. Then another pop followed, people started moving towards the front of the car and realized there was smoke, he said. When the train entered the station, people ran outside and headed for another train across from the platform. Passengers were crying and praying as they walked away, Javier said. “I’m just grateful to be alive,” he said. The perpetrator fled into the chaos, leaving behind a gun, ammunition, an ax, detonated and unexploded ordnance, a black trash can, a rolling stock, petrol and the key to a U-Haul truck. CLOCKS Witnesses describe the chaotic aftermath of the metro shootings:
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
That key led investigators to James, who has offices in Philadelphia and Wisconsin, said Chief Detective James Essig. The van was later found empty near a subway station where investigators found the gunman had entered the train system, Essig said.
The adventurous, blatant YouTube videos apparently posted by James, who is black, are full of violent language and fanatical comments, some against other blacks.
A video, released on April 11, criticizes the crime against blacks and says that drastic action is needed.
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.
Adams, who is being isolated after testing positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, said in a video statement that the city “will not allow New Yorkers to be intimidated, even by one person.”
