COLUMBUS – The man accused of shooting 10 people on a Brooklyn subway train has been arrested and charged with a federal terrorism offense.
UPDATE 4/14/22 4:17 a.m.: This article has been updated to include new information on the suspect’s arrest.
Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said the motive remains unclear, and there is no indication the suspect has ties to terror organizations.
Frank R. James, 62, was taken into custody Wednesday, about 30 hours after the violence. Two law enforcement officials say the suspect called police to say he could be found at a McDonald’s in Manhattan’s East Village neighborhood.
According to a report on NBC News, a gun found at the scene of the shooting had been bought in Columbus over a decade ago.
A 9mm Glock handgun left at the scene has been traced by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigators to James and a pawn shop in Columbus, law enforcement said. According to the report, the suspect purchased it there in 2011, sources said.
Despite a criminal record, retired FBI agent Harry Trombitas says the suspect was able to pass a background check and buy the gun legally.
“A check was done but, to my understanding, he had no felony convictions at that time, which made him in a position where he could own a firearm,” Trombitas said.
Tuesday morning’s attack left 10 people shot and once again interrupted New York City’s long journey to post-pandemic normalcy.
Authorities were examining social media videos in which James decried the United States as a racist place awash in violence and sometimes railed against Adams.