via Associated Press
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UNITED STATES – New York City police set off on Tuesday (April 12) after a man wearing a gas mask who wreaked havoc on the subway during rush hour Monday morning by setting off two devices smoke bombs before opening fire, injuring 23 people, ten of whom were shot.
At 8:24 a.m. (2:24 p.m. Paris time), at a time when the metro trains of the megalopolis are crowded, the individual, who was wearing a gas mask, “opened two canisters which let smoke escape in paddle. He then shot a number of passengers when the train entered the 36th Street station “south of Brooklyn, detailed the chief of the police of New York (NYPD), Keechant Sewell.
“We were really lucky that it was not much more serious”, underlined the chief of police summarizing the relief of the authorities after this attack where the suspect – still at large 12 hours after the shooting – fired 33 bullets in the subway.
Wounded by bullets, not smoke inhalations or in the stampede
The individual was described by the police as “a black man” about 1.65m tall, “heavyweight”, and wearing a “green and orange construction vest” and a gray hooded sweatshirt. A search notice with his description and photo has been issued. First reported as a “person of interest”, who could have information on the attack, he is now considered a “suspicious” said the police of New York this Wednesday afternoon.
According to several media, this man, Frank James, 62, has published various videos on Youtube where he delivers long political tirades, sometimes virulent, and criticizes the mayor of New York Eric Adams.
At the scene of the attack, investigators found a handgun and three magazines, as well as a vehicle key that allowed them to trace a van from American rental company U-Haul, recently rented and abandoned in Brooklyn.
This is Frank James who is a person of interest in this investigation. Any information can be directed to @NYPDTips… https://t.co/3TExfKgAv6
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews)
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“There have been posts that might be related to the person we’re interested in where he mentions homelessness, New York City, and Mayor Adams,” the NYPD chief confirmed. The security of the city councilor has also been reinforced, say the authorities.
Several videos on social networks
According to several US media outlets, in videos posted on social media, apparently by him, he said a government plan to tackle homelessness and safety on the city’s subway was ‘doomed’ .
He also called himself a “victim” of a New York mayor’s mental health agenda and criticized the latter’s plan to end gun violence.
According CNN, in what appears to be his last video posted on Monday, the individual says: “I’ve been through a lot of bullshit, where I can say I wanted to kill people. I wanted to see people die right in front of my eyes immediately. But I thought about the fact that, hey man, I don’t want to go to fucking jail.”
In another video posted last week, he denounces abuse in churches and racism in the workplace, using misogynistic and racist language. The individual regularly and violently attacks African-Americans in his videos details CNN again.
See also on The HuffPost: In a college in Texas, this mother poses as her daughter and denounces the lack of security
