NEW YORK — Charges against accused subway gunman Frank James have been upgraded, and hold him accountable as a terrorist for each of the 10 people shot in April on a Brooklyn train.
A new federal court indictment charges James, 63, with 10 counts — one for each gunshot victim — of committing a terrorist attack or other violence against a mass transportation system and vehicle carrying passengers and employees, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
The new superseding indictment, which identifies each of the gunshot victims by their initials, also adds an 11th count for discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
Each charge against James carries the possibility of life in jail.
He was previously charged with a single terrorism offense to which he pleaded not guilty.
James “terrifyingly opened fire on passengers on a crowded subway train, interrupting their morning commute in a way this city hasn’t seen in more than 20 years,” assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Winik said when James first appeared in Brooklyn federal court.
“The defendant’s attack was premeditated; it was carefully planned; and it caused terror among the victims and our entire city.”
The upgraded charges were revealed a day after a report from the MTA Inspector General about surveillance cameras in the 36th St. station where the attack occurred on April 12.
The cameras were broken for four days before the attack, the report said.
The investigation also found the outage was not intentional, but the cameras were not fixed because of limited staffing and inadequate training.
Cops said James boarded a packed N train, set off a smoke bomb and fired a gun 33 times, striking 10 people as the train pulled into the 36th St. station in Sunset Park that morning.
James was arrested the next day after an intense manhunt.
In the last month, while being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, James has requested his trial be moved to Chicago, claiming he can’t get a fair shake in New York and the judge in his case signed an order saying James can be hauled to court by force if necessary, after the terrorism suspect tried to dodge an October appearance.
James’ trial is slated to begin as soon as Feb. 27.
