US authorities on Wednesday arrested the man suspected of setting off smoke bombs and shooting 10 passengers in a New York City subway car, Mayor Eric Adams said, capping a manhunt that has renewed fears of violence in the city's transit system.
“My fellow New Yorkers, we got him. We got him,” Adams told a press conference. “We’re going to protect the people of this city and apprehend those who believe they can bring terror to everyday New Yorkers.”
The suspect, Frank James, was due to appear in court Thursday on a charge that pertains to terrorist or other violent attacks against mass transit systems and carries a sentence of up to life in prison, Brooklyn US Attorney Breon Peace said.
New York Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said James was arrested with the help of a tip following a 30-hour search.
The tipster was James, calling to say he knew he was wanted and police could find him at a McDonald’s in Manhattan’s East Village neighborhood, two law enforcement officials said. They weren’t authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.
James was gone when officers arrived, but they soon spotted him on a busy corner nearby, Chief of Department Kenneth Corey said.
A peak New York moment on @NY1: Zack Tahhan, who spotted the alleged subway shooter, grabs our mic and begins interviewing other witnesses. pic.twitter.com/ax3nXpSbvb
— Mariya Abedi (@msabedi) April 13, 2022
Passer-by Aleksei Korobow said he saw four police cars zoom past, and when he caught up to them, a compliant James was in handcuffs as a crowd of people looked on.
“There was nowhere left for him to run,” Sewell said.
Police had initially said Tuesday that James was being sought for questioning because he had rented a van possibly connected to the attack, but they weren’t sure whether he was responsible for the shooting.
In recent months, James had railed in online videos about racism and violence in the US and about his experiences with mental health care in New York City. In some videos, he criticised Adams’ policies on mental health and subway safety.
The gunman set off smoke grenades in a crowded subway car and then fired at least 33 shots with a 9-mm handgun, police said. At least a dozen others who escaped gunshot wounds were treated for smoke inhalation and other injuries.
Numerous clues
The shooter escaped in the chaos, but left behind numerous clues, including the gun, ammunition magazines, a hatchet, smoke grenades, gasoline and the key to a U-Haul van.
That key led investigators to James, a New York-area native who had more recent addresses in Philadelphia and Wisconsin.
Federal investigators determined the gun used in the shooting was purchased by James at a pawn shop –a licensed firearms dealer – in the Columbus, Ohio, area in 2011.
The van was found, unoccupied, near a station where investigators determined the gunman had entered the subway system. No explosives or firearms were found in the van, a law enforcement official who wasn’t authorised to comment on the investigation and did so on the condition of anonymity told The Associated Press. Police did find other items, including pillows, suggesting he may have been sleeping or planned to sleep in the van, the official said.
Investigators believe James drove up from Philadelphia on Monday and have reviewed surveillance video showing a man matching his physical description coming out of the van early Tuesday morning, the official said. Other video shows James entering a subway station in Brooklyn with a large bag, the official said.
‘Concerning’ videos posted on YouTube
In addition to analysing financial and telephone records connected to James, investigators were reviewing hours of rambling, profanity-filled videos James 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, criticises crime against Black people and says drastic action is needed.
“You got kids going in here now taking machine guns and mowing down innocent people,” James says. “It’s not going to get better until we make it better,” he said, adding that he thought things would only change if certain people were “stomped, kicked and tortured” out of their “comfort zone”.
In another video he says, “this nation was born in violence, it’s kept alive by violence or the threat thereof and it’s going to die a violent death. There’s nothing going to stop that”.
His posts are replete with violent language and bigoted comments, some against Black people.
Police Commissioner Sewell called the posts “concerning” and officials tightened security for Adams, who was already isolating following a positive Covid-19 test Sunday.
Several of James’ videos mention New York’s subways. A February 20 video says the mayor and governor’s plan to address homelessness and safety in the subway system “is doomed for failure” and refers to himself as a “victim” of the city’s mental health programs. A January 25 video criticises Adams’ plan to end gun violence.
The Brooklyn subway station where passengers fled the smoke-filled train in the attack was open as usual Wednesday morning, less than 24 hours after the violence.
Commuter Jude Jacques, who takes the D train to his job as a fire safety director some two blocks from the shooting scene, said he prays every morning but had a special request on Wednesday.
“I said, ‘God, everything is in your hands,’” Jacques said. “I was antsy, and you can imagine why. Everybody is scared because it just happened.”
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and REUTERS)
