The New York Police Department has named a person of interest in connection to the Brooklyn subway shooting that injured more than 20 people on Tuesday morning.
via People:
In a news conference on Tuesday night, Chief of Detectives James Essig told reporters Frank R. James is a person of interest in connection to the shooting.
“As the train approached the 36th station, witnesses state the male opened up two smoke grenades, tossed them on the subway floor, and brandished a Glock 9mm handgun. He then fired that weapon at least 33 times, striking 10 people. The male then fled the scene and detectives are actively trying to determine his whereabouts,” said Essig.
Essig also said that authorities recovered a Glock 17 9mm handgun and three extended-type Glock magazines – noting that one was still in the weapon, one was under the seat, and one was in a backpack.
Thirty-three discharged shell cases, 15 bullets, five bullet fragments, two detonated smoke grenades, two non-detonated smoke grenades, a hatchet, a black garbage can, a black rolling cart, gasoline, and a U-Haul key were also recovered from the scene.
“The U-Haul key at the scene led us to the recovery of a U-Haul van a short while ago in Brooklyn,” Essig continued, noting that the van was rented in Philadelphia, where James, 62, is said to have an address. Essig also told reporters they believe James also has an address in Wisconsin.
“We are endeavoring to locate him to determine his connection to the subway shooting, if any. The two crime scenes, the subway and the van, are very active and are still being processed,” Essig said, asking that anyone with information about the shooting or anyone who can identify the perpetrator or the renter of the vehicle to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
There is also a $50,000 reward out right now.
The shooting began at 8:24 a.m., when a Manhattan-bound N train was waiting to enter the station at 36th Street and 4th Avenue, in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn, New York Police Department Commissioner Keechant Sewell Sewell said at a Tuesday morning press conference.
Ten people were shot, while 13 others suffered injuries due to other factors like smoke inhalation, falling down, and panic, Essig said in Tuesday night’s news conference. It was originally reported that 10 people had been shot and six people suffered injuries.
In a videotaped statement posted to Twitter, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who is in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19, said, “We will not allow New Yorkers to be terrorized, even by a single individual. NYPD is searching for the suspect at large, and we will find him. But we ask the public to come forward with any information that may help us in this investigation.”
We’re not even going to lie — we did NOT expect the shooter to be Black.
This is Frank James who is a person of interest in this investigation. Any information can be directed to @NYPDTips at 800-577-TIPS. pic.twitter.com/yBpenmsX67
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) April 12, 2022
