Crime Blotter | Featured Stories

By Rob Meachem |

Subway attack suspect Frank James in custody

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Frank James, 62, from Philadelphia is a person of interest in the subway attack.

The suspect in the Brooklyn subway attack is in custody and expected to appear before a judge later this morning. 62-year old Frank James was arrested a day after he called police on himself.
James was reportedly riding the subway around New York after allegedly shooting 10 people. He was arrested peacefully and asked for a lawyer. James will be charged under a federal statute that prohibits terrorist and other violent attacks in mass transit system.  The federal government will also charge him with crossing state lines.

The man wanted in connection with the Tuesday morning shooting at a Brooklyn subway station has been captured thanks to a Crime Stoppers tip.

Frank James has been arrested according to the NYPD and is in custody at the 9th Precinct in Manhattan.

He was taken into custody just before 2:00 PM near St. Marks Place and 1st Ave. in the East Village across the river from Brooklyn.

Some reports indicate that James rode the subway for hours after the attack.

Reportedly he did not resist when the patrol officers who spotted James placed him under arrest.

James, 62, was taken into custody about 30 hours after the carnage on a crowded rush–hour train.

He was awaiting arraignment on a charge that pertains to terrorist or other violent attacks against mass transit systems, Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said, and carries a sentence of up to life in prison.

There is no indication that James had ties to terror organizations  and the motive remains unclear, Peace said.

Investigators found a credit card at the scene of Tuesday’s shooting that led them to identify a person of interest, one of the law enforcement officials said, adding that the card was used to rent the U-Haul van that police located in Brooklyn.

A key found at the scene fit a U-Haul van with Arizona license plate AL31408 which was located blocks from the crime scene.

Police identified Frank R. James, 62, of Philadelphia, as the renter of the U-Haul and believe he may be linked to or be the suspect.

Also, the Mayor of New York, Eric Adams, has been assigned a security detail based on general complaints James made on social media.

A total of 16 people were wounded with 10 shot, seven males and three females.

Five people were in critical condition but expected to survive. The attack began on a subway train that stopped in the tunnel before reaching the 36th Street station in the borough’s Sunset Park neighborhood.  The passengers were trapped, fortunately the gun jammed, according to police.

NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell says this is not considered a terrorist incident and no deaths have been reported.

A number of suspicious items, currently being regarded as possible smoke canisters, were found in the area of the shooting.

Smoke filled the subway car before the shooting began, according to witnesses.

The was described as a Black male, 5′ 5″ with a heavy build wearing what appeared to be a florescent orange construction vest, green construction hat, grey hooded sweatshirt and possibly a gas mask, according to witnesses and NYPD.

A gun was been recovered from the scene along with a bag of smoke canisters, fireworks a hatchet and gasoline.

The gun may have jammed during the shooting which would have spared others from getting shot.

 

Local reports are that the MTA camera on the platform where the shootings took place was not working.

Police are asking any possible witnesses to submit any photos or videos of the incident.

Stay with 850 WFTL for the latest.