New York subway shooting suspect faces 11 life sentences

Frank James faces nearly a dozen terrorism and fire arm offense charges

Dec 17, 2022

The man suspected of shooting 10 passengers on a New York City subway train in April could receive a life sentence 11 times over if he is convicted of a fresh set of federal charges that were brought by a grand jury on Friday.

Frank James, 62, now faces 10 counts of terrorism against a mass transportation system in Brooklyn federal court, as well as one count of discharging a firearm during a violent crime , Spectrum News NY reported.

Ten straphangers were wounded and dozens others injured when gunfire broke out on a subway car traveling from Brooklyn to Manhattan in April.

Law enforcement officials lead subway shooting suspect Frank R. James, 62, center right, away from a police station and into a vehicle, in New York, Wednesday, April 13, 2022. James, accused of shooting 10 people on a Brooklyn subway train, was arrested Wednesday and charged with a federal terrorism offense. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

The new charges against James replace two initial charges of terrorism on a mass transit system and a firearm offenses, which he pleaded not guilty to in May, according to the report.

Prosecutors say James drove from Philadelphia to New York City where he boarded a Manhattan-bound subway train and later released a smoke grenade and opened fire on riders in the morning of April 12, per the Associated Press. Miraculously, no one died in incident.

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A manhunt ensued after James was linked to the handgun used in the attack, while his bank card, cellphone and van key were also left at the scene, according to the outlet. He was detained 30 hours after the incident after he was spotted by the public in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, as reported by Spectrum News.

The handgun, a 9 mm Glock, was fired a total of 33 times by James during the attack, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig, per Spectrum News.

New York City Police and law enforcement officials lead subway shooting suspect Frank R. James, 62, center, away from a police station, in New York, Wednesday, April 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Faulty MTA cameras reportedly failed to record the suspect leaving the subway following the incident. The malfunctioning cameras were deemed on Thursday by the MTA’s Office of the Inspector General to be the result of poor training, understaffing and overall disorganization within the MTA, according to the outlet.

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