Brooklyn subway shooting suspect Frank James possibly did ‘test run’ of smoke grenades at NYC airfield: report

The accused Brooklyn subway terrorist Frank James might need performed a take a look at run of smoke grenades at close by New York Metropolis airfield earlier than the Tuesday morning capturing assault, in response to a report. 

Within the hours after James was apprehended in Manhattan’s East Village Wednesday afternoon, police obtained a tip {that a} white van, presumably a U-Haul, had been noticed early Tuesday on the Floyd Bennett Area, an airfield within the Marine Park neighborhood of Brooklyn alongside the Jamaica Bay, WNBC reported, citing three unnamed legislation enforcement sources. 

The tipster added that somebody might need been testing smoke grenades across the similar time in a wooded space close by. 

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Consequently, members of the Joint Terrorism Activity Power and the NYPD Crime Scene unit have been on the airfield Wednesday night recovering remnants of smoke grenades, WNBC’s report mentioned. Investigators pressured to the outlet that it was far too early to find out if there was any connection to James or if the subway assault suspect did conduct a take a look at run of smoke grenades on the airfield.  

NYPD has mentioned James donned a gasoline masks, detonated a smoke grenade and opened fired inside a Manhattan-bound N prepare and on the 36 St. subway station in Sundown Park, Brooklyn, round 8:24 a.m. Tuesday. Not less than 29 individuals have been injured, together with 10 people who suffered gunshot wounds. 5 people have been in crucial situation following the assault. No fatalities have been reported. 

James was taken into custody round 1:45 p.m. Wednesday within the East Village, concluding an almost 30-hour manhunt. He’s scheduled to seem in federal courtroom in Brooklyn on Thursday on a cost that pertains to terrorist or different violent assaults towards mass transit techniques and carries a sentence of as much as life in jail, Brooklyn U.S. Legal professional Breon Peace mentioned. 

Among the many calls that got here into Crime Stoppers was a person who claimed to be James himself. 

“I believe you are on the lookout for me,” the caller mentioned, in response to WNBC. “I am seeing my image all around the information, and I will be round this McDonald’s.”

Investigators mentioned James was staying at an Airbnb in Philadelphia, rented a U-Haul the day earlier than the assault, and drove into New York Metropolis round 4 a.m. Tuesday, the New York Put up reported.  

Surveillance cameras on the thirty sixth St. station weren’t working on the time of the capturing, however graphic cellphone photographs and video confirmed smoke and puddles of blood as individuals have been mendacity on the platform. 

Investigators imagine James blended in with commuters and took an R prepare to the following cease on twenty fifth St., the place cameras have been additionally not working on the time. James was then positioned on the Park Slope’s Ninth Avenue and Seventh Avenue subway station round 9:15 a.m. Tuesday, lower than an hour after the assault, NYPD Chief of Detective James Essig mentioned.  

The Related Press contributed to this report.