An intense manhunt involving local and federal law enforcement agencies is underway for the man who fired and used smoke grenades on a crowded New York subway car, injuring passengers and triggering a rush of panic during Tuesday morning’s rush hour. fair (12).
“The FBI and NYPD (NYPD) Joint Terrorism Task Force is comprised of more than 50 agencies and we are fully engaged in this investigation. It’s still in its very early stages. Our focus now – our thoughts and prayers are with the victims,” said Michael J. Driscoll, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York office.
Investigators have identified a “person of interest” who they believe rented a service van related to the shooting at the 36th Street subway station in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.
Frank James, 62, is not yet named as a suspect. James has addresses in Wisconsin and Philadelphia, where the vehicle was leased, said NYPD chief detective James Essig.
“The keys to that rented van were found in the subway among the gunman’s belongings,” Essig said. “We don’t know now if Mr James has any connection with what happened on the subway. This is still under investigation.”
The vehicle was found near the station and was released after analysis by the bomb squad, police said. The van will be transported to a forensic location where federal and local authorities will be able to inspect the vehicle in a controlled environment, a senior law enforcement official told CNN.
The gunman fired at least 33 times and hit 10 people, according to Essig. In total, 29 people were hospitalized in connection with the shooting, with injuries including gunshot wounds, smoke inhalation or falling while trying to escape, officials said.
None of the injuries appear to be fatal, said New York Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell.
“We know this incident is of great concern to New Yorkers,” Sewell said. “We cannot lose sight of the victims in this city. We will use every resource we can to bring to justice those who continue to attack the citizens of New York.”
The reason for the shooting is still unknown. The attack is not being investigated as an act of terrorism, but authorities have not ruled out anything, Sewell said, adding that the victims come from diverse backgrounds.
A $50,000 reward for information leading to the suspect’s arrest was offered, according to a statement from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). The MTA and the local Transportation Workers Union (TWU) each offered $12,500 in cash as a reward, and the New York City Police Foundation offered an additional $25,000.
“Drivers need to feel safe. My members need to feel safe. We don’t just get in and out of the system. We spent entire shifts there every day and night. This guy needs to be arrested,” said TWU President Tony Utano.
Service through the D, N and R subway lines has been re-established at the 36th Street subway station and is “on delay,” the MTA said Wednesday. Passengers were on a Manhattan-bound N train approaching the station when the shooting broke out.
Putting together the pieces of what happened
Collecting evidence for the incident “will take some time,” according to Driscoll, but he added that he was grateful to residents and eyewitnesses who have already stepped forward with information.
Investigators have cellphone video from an eyewitness that shows the suspect, a law enforcement source told CNN.
Inside the station, surveillance video may not be available for analysis. A preliminary investigation indicates that there was some sort of malfunction with the station’s camera system, Mayor Eric Adams told WCBS radio.
There are nearly 10,000 cameras in the MTA system, including nearly 600 cameras in the Brooklyn section where the attack took place, MTA President and CEO Janno Lieber told Jake Tapper of CNN.
“We’re going to work with the NYPD to capture all this video to find out where this criminal might have entered or exited the system,” Lieber said. “And we are also reviewing with everyone involved, all the information.”
Investigators found a Glock 9mm pistol, three extended magazines, two detonated smoke grenades, two unexploded smoke grenades, an ax and the van key at the scene, Essig said. Two officials told CNN who believe the gun jammed during the shooting.
A credit card used to rent the vehicle was also found, two police sources told CNN.
Videos linked to James
James, described as being investigated by the NYPD, was linked to several disjointed videos posted on a YouTube channel. A screenshot of one of the videos was used in a police pamphlet asking for information about the shooting.
James spoke about violence and mass shootings in the videos, including one posted on Monday in which he said he thought about killing people who had presumably hurt him.
“I’ve been through a lot of shit where I can say I wanted to kill people. I wanted to see people die right in front of my face right away. But I thought about the fact that, hey man, I don’t want to go to any prison,” he said.
In another video posted last week, James, who is black, talks about abuse in churches and racism in the workplace, using misogynistic and racist language.
Many of the videos James uploaded included references to violence, including on a defined group of people he believed defamed him, as well as broad social and racial groups he appeared to hate.
In another video posted last month on the same channel, James said he had PTSD. In that video, James said he left his Milwaukee home on March 20. During the trip east, he said he was heading to the “danger zone”.
“You know, this is triggering a lot of negative thoughts, of course,” he said in the video. “I have a bad case of post-traumatic stress disorder.”
THE CNN contacted James and his family for comment but did not receive a response.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m James Harper, a highly experienced and accomplished news writer for World Stock Market. I have been writing in the Politics section of the website for over five years, providing readers with up-to-date and insightful information about current events in politics. My work is widely read and respected by many industry professionals as well as laymen.
