The man wanted in the New York City shooting Tuesday morning that left at least 10 people injured by gunfire has been arrested, police say.
Mayor Eric Adams confirmed Frank James, 62, was taken into custody without incident on Wednesday and thanked those who submitted tips that led to his capture. Police said James had nine prior arrests in the state of New York dating back to the 1990s.
He will be arraigned in federal court in Brooklyn on a federal terror offense and faces up to life in prison if convicted.
Police asked the public to continue submitting any information on the shooting to piece together the events that unfolded on Tuesday. James is suspected of filling a subway station train with smoke and firing at least 33 shots.
Videos posted to social media show his arrest in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan.
Police originally sought James for questioning on Tuesday because he had rented a U-Haul truck possibly connected to the shooting, but they weren’t sure whether he was responsible. The truck was rented a day before in Philadelphia and was found elsewhere in Brooklyn after the shooting.
James was described as a “person of interest” Tuesday, which was upgraded to suspect on Wednesday.
In addition to analyzing financial and phone records connected to James, investigators were reviewing profanity-laced videos he posted on YouTube and other social media platforms as they tried to discern a motive.
In one video, posted a day before the attack, James, who is Black, criticizes crime against Black people and says drastic action is needed.
Fire officials responded to reports of smoke at the 36th Street station in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood around 8:30 a.m Tuesday. Wails erupted as passengers ran for an exit or limped off the train.
Yav Montano, who was on the train during the shooting, said there was a lot of blood on the cart.
“All I saw was people who were close to me on the floor. There were some people whose clothes and pants were covered in blood,” Montano said. “There were some people … it didn’t even seem like it was blood because the person who panicked had most of the blood and was OK and walking and helping other people. At that moment … I couldn’t tell who was injured. All I know is I saw a lot of blood on the cart.”
Ten people were hit by bullets. At least 29 in all were treated at hospitals for gunshot wounds, smoke inhalation and other conditions.
