met VideoThe fugitive suspect in the shooting incident at a subway station in the New York borough of Brooklyn, which left 23 injured yesterday, has been arrested. Mayor Eric Adams announced this at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, local time.
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Caspar Naber
Latest update: 23:36
“Fellow New Yorkers, we’ve got him. We’ve got him,” Adams said proudly and relieved. “We are going to protect the residents of this city and arrest those who believe they can cause terror among everyday New Yorkers.”
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Frank R. James, 62, was arrested after a 30-hour manhunt using a tip, New YorkPolice Chief Keechant L. Sewell said. The 62-year-old suspect is charged with a terrorist attack on public transport. James fired a semiautomatic pistol recovered at the crime scene containing three ammunition magazines, an axe, consumer-grade fireworks and a petrol can, according to the police chief.
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The suspect’s motive is not yet clear. According to the police, James had been arrested 12 times before, nine times in New York state and three times in the neighboring state of New Jersey. That came after charges of a series of misdemeanors, including three petty theft and disorderly conduct (2007), trespassing (1992). As far as we know, his criminal past is not comparable to the violence of which he is now accused. According to television channel NBC New York, James would also have been arrested for making ‘terrorist threats’, but according to the police, the threats were comparable to those from emotionally unstable people.
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Recognized
The arrest took place in Manhattan’s East Village. Visitors to a McDonald’s recognized him from his image in the AID and tipped off Crime Stoppers, a platform for anonymously providing information about criminal activities. The police then turned out en masse, but the suspect was not found when they arrived. Patrols then drove through the neighborhood in hopes of finding him, ABC7 New Yorknews channel reports. They would have received help from people on the street who also recognized him, took pictures with cell phones and posted them on social media. At 1:45 p.m., James was nabbed near St. Marks Place and First Avenue.
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𝒥𝓊𝓁𝒾𝓈𝓈 𝒜𝓁𝒷𝒶🙏😇💙💙💙💙 @Juls555
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Detectives had announced Tuesday afternoon that they were looking for James, who was believed to have rented a van that may have been linked to the violence. On Wednesday morning, New York authorities said he was a suspect in the shooting incident itself. Police had initially said the 62-year-old was wanted for questioning for having rented a van that may have been linked to the attack, but were unsure if he was responsible for the shooting.
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Frank James came into the picture because he left numerous “trails” in the subway station, including a credit card and the key to a van from rental company U-Haul. That key and the credit card used to rent the van led investigators to James, a New York City resident who had more recent addresses in Philadelphia and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Examination of the gun used by James revealed that it had been purchased by him in 2011 at a pawn shop — an authorized firearms dealer — in the Columbus, Ohio area, a police officer told the AP on condition of anonymity.
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violent wave
James’ attack was the latest outbreak of violence to plague the largest urban transportation system in the United States. The shooting incident presented a new challenge to Mayor Eric Adams, who has sought to stem the decline in passenger numbers during the coronavirus pandemic and ensure public safety.
The suspect has posted dozens of videos on social media in recent years in which he labeled the US as a racist place overrun with violence. He also went on a rampage against the mayor of New York in the videos. “I am a victim of your mental health policies,” he said in a video shared on the YouTube channel ‘prophetoftruth88’. “I am full of hate, full of anger and full of bitterness.”
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The man says he has a mental illness. He calls New York’s mental health services a “horror show.” An institution where James says he is being treated, he accuses of violence. “Not physical violence, but the kind of violence a kid goes through in grade school that would make him go get a gun to shoot motherf*ers.”
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Since the discovery of the videos, Mayor Adams has received extra protection, according to the police. The authorities offered a reward of $50,000 (more than 46,000 euros) for the tip that would lead to the arrest of the gunman.
The shooting took place on Tuesday as the affected subway train arrived at the 36th Street station in the Brooklyn borough. Just before arrival, the gunman put on a gas mask and set off two smoke bombs before firing 33 rounds from a semi-automatic firearm.
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Ten passengers were hit by bullets. Five of them are in hospital in a critical but stable condition. The thirteen others were injured when they fled. Footage taken shortly after the shooting shows passengers fleeing a smoke-filled subway in panic.
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Mayor Adams called on residents of the metropolis to be “vigilant”, but also said there is no evidence that the perpetrator had an accomplice. “Looks like he acted alone,” Adams said.
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