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u.s. news Diahuebs 14 aPRiL 2022

Brooklyn subway suspect tipped off police to his location

(AP) — The man accused hours of rambling, profani-
of shooting 10 people on ty-filled videos James posted
a Brooklyn subway train on YouTube and other social
was arrested Wednesday media platforms as they tried
and charged with a federal to discern a motive.
terrorism offense after the
suspect himself called po- In one video, posted a day be-
lice to come get him, law fore the attack, James, who is
enforcement officials said. Black, criticizes crime against
Black people and says drastic
Frank R. James, 62, was taken action is needed.
into custody about 30 hours
after the carnage on a rush- “You got kids going in here
hour train, which left five now taking machine guns
victims in critical condition and mowing down innocent
and people around the city people,” James says. “It’s not
on edge. going to get better until we
make it better,” he said, add-
James was awaiting arraign- ing that he thought things
ment on a charge that per- would only change if cer-
tains to terrorist or other tain people were “stomped,
violent attacks against mass kicked and tortured” out of
transit systems and carries a their “comfort zone.”
sentence of up to life in pris-
on, Brooklyn U.S. Attorney hours after his arrest. Keechant Sewell said author- disappearing into the nation’s In another video he says,
Breon Peace said. ities “were able to shrink his most populous city. “this nation was born in vio-
Police had launched a mas- world quickly.” lence, it’s kept alive by vio-
In recent months, James sive effort to find him, releas- The shooter left behind nu- lence or the threat thereof
railed in online videos about ing his name and issuing cell- “There was nowhere left for merous clues, including the and it’s going to die a violent
racism and violence in the phone alerts. him to run,” she said. gun, ammunition magazines, death. There’s nothing going
U.S. and about his experi- a hatchet, smoke grenades, to stop that.”
ences with mental health care They got a tip Wednesday The day before, James set gasoline and the key to a U-
in New York City, and he had that he was in a McDonald’s off smoke grenades in a Haul van. That key led inves- His posts are replete with
criticized Adams’ policies on in Manhattan’s East Village commuter-packed subway tigators to James. violent language and bigot-
mental health and subway neighborhood, Chief of De- car and then fired at least 33 ed comments, some against
safety. But the motive for partment Kenneth Corey shots with a 9 mm handgun, Federal investigators deter- Black people.
the subway attack remains said. police said. mined the gun used in the
unclear, and there is no indi- shooting was purchased by Sewell called the posts “con-
cation that James had ties to The tipster was James, and he Police Chief of Detectives James at a pawn shop — a li- cerning” and officials tight-
terror organizations, inter- told authorities to come and James Essig said police were censed firearms dealer — in ened security for Adams,
national or otherwise, Peace get him, two law enforce- told that after James opened the Columbus, Ohio, area in who was already isolating fol-
said. ment officials said. They one of the smoke grenades, 2011. lowing a positive COVID-19
weren’t authorized to discuss a rider asked, “What did you test Sunday.
It wasn’t immediately clear the ongoing investigation and do?” The van was found, unoc-
whether James, who is from spoke on condition of ano- cupied, near a station where Several of James’ videos
New York but has lived re- nymity. “Oops,” James said, then investigators determined the mention New York’s sub-
cently in Philadelphia and went on to brandish his gun gunman had entered the sub- ways. A Feb. 20 video says the
Milwaukee, has an attorney James was gone when of- and open fire, according to a way system. No explosives or mayor and governor’s plan
or anyone else who can speak ficers arrived, but they soon witness account. firearms were found in the to address homelessness and
for him. A sign taped to the spotted him on a busy corner van, a law enforcement of- safety in the subway system
door of James’ Milwaukee nearby. At least a dozen people who ficial who wasn’t authorized “is doomed for failure” and
apartment asks that all mail escaped gunshot wounds to comment on the inves- refers to himself as a “victim”
be delivered to a post office Four police cars zoomed were treated for smoke inha- tigation and did so on the of the city’s mental health
box. around a corner, officers lation and other injuries. condition of anonymity told programs. A Jan. 25 video
leaped out and, soon, a com- The Associated Press. Police criticizes Adams’ plan to end
James, in a blue t-shirt and pliant James was in handcuffs As terrified riders fled the did find other items, includ- gun violence.
brown pants with his hands as a crowd of people looked attack, James apparently ing pillows, suggesting he
cuffed behind his back, on, witness Aleksei Korobow hopped another train — the may have been sleeping or The Brooklyn subway sta-
didn’t respond to reporters said. same one many were steered planned to sleep in the van, tion where passengers fled
shouting questions as police to for safety, police said. He the official said. the smoke-filled train in
escorted him to a car a few Police Commissioner got out at the next station, the attack was open as usual
Investigators believe James Wednesday morning, less
drove up from Philadelphia than 24 hours after the vio-
on Monday and have re- lence.
viewed surveillance video
showing a man matching his Commuter Jude Jacques,
physical description coming who takes the D train to his
out of the van early Tuesday job as a fire safety director
morning, the official said. some two blocks from the
Other video shows James shooting scene, said he prays
entering a subway station in every morning but had a spe-
Brooklyn with a large bag, cial request on Wednesday.
the official said.
“I said, ‘God, everything is in
In addition to analyzing fi- your hands,’” Jacques said. “I
nancial and telephone re- was antsy, and you can imag-
cords connected to James, ine why. Everybody is scared
investigators were reviewing because it just happened.”