Photo: BBC
The man suspected of shooting ten civilians in a peak hour assault at the Brooklyn subway station has been taken into custody by New York City police.
Frank James reportedly wore a construction worker’s helmet, vest, and a gas mask ahead of tossing smoke grenades and gunning down commuters.
A thorough 30-hour search for the suspect was carried out following the assault.
On Wednesday afternoon, the authorities arrested the 62-year-old as they got information about his location.
“My fellow New Yorkers: we got him,” said Mayor Eric Adams through a video at a news conference.
As per officials’ statements, James was the only suspect in the attack at Brooklyn’s 36th Street station on Tuesday morning, where 23 people were injured, 10 of which were from the gunshots. The assault reignited outcries to address the violence in the city’s transit system.
New York’s police commissioner Keechant Sewell stated that James was seized “without incident.” But, she added, “There was nowhere left for him to run.”
When asked about the person who tipped them, authorities refused to answer any questions, even with reports from AP and CNN that the suspect himself passed on information about his whereabouts.
James faces trial for charges that include violating a federal law forbidding “terrorist and other violent attacks” on public transport locations and could be sentenced to life in prison if found guilty.
The search for James was complicated due to malfunctioning cameras in the subway station. Officials on Wednesday were on the job to identify if one or many cameras installed in the station were damaged.
The suspect had managed to flee from the scene; however, he was connected to the attack via a rented U-Haul van. Rented in Philadelphia, the key to the van was seen at the scene alongside a Glock 9mm handgun, three ammunition magazines, a plastic container holding petrol, and a credit card with James’ name on it, said authorities.
The motive behind the assault remains vague. Still, police have stated that James had uploaded black nationalist rants online and “made various statements about the New York City subway system,” counting roars about homeless individuals on the subways and “various conspiracy theories,” said court documents.
The first court appearance for James is set to happen on Thursday.
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