Brooklyn subway attack suspect ordered held without bail

Frank James, 62, spoke solely to reply “sure” to straightforward questions in the course of the transient continuing in a federal court docket in Brooklyn.

He was arrested in Manhattan on Wednesday, a day after authorities say he unleashed smoke bombs and dozens of bullets in a practice filled with morning commuters, taking pictures 10 folks. He is charged with a federal terrorism offense, which applies to assaults on mass transit methods – authorities say there’s presently no proof linking him to terror organizations.

“The defendant terrifyingly opened fireplace on passengers on a crowded subway practice, interrupting their morning commute in a method town hasn’t seen in additional than 20 years,” Assistant U.S. legal professional Sara Ok. Winik mentioned. “The defendant’s assault was premeditated, was rigorously deliberate, and it prompted terror among the many victims and our whole metropolis.”

SEE ALSO: Video exhibits FBI raid Philadelphia house the place New York Metropolis subway taking pictures suspect stayed

In court docket papers, prosecutors referred to as the taking pictures calculated, saying that James wore a tough hat and building worker-style jacket as a disguise after which shed them after the gunfire to keep away from recognition. Prosecutors recommended James had the means to hold out extra extra assaults, noting that he had ammunition and different gun-related gadgets in a Philadelphia storage unit.

His lawyer, Mia Eisner-Grynberg, agreed to his being held with out bail, not less than for now. His attorneys may search bail afterward.

James did not reply to shouting reporters Wednesday as he was led from a police precinct right into a automobile headed for a federal detention heart.

Authorities say a trove of proof connects James to the assault. His bank card and a key to a van he had rented have been discovered on the taking pictures scene. Officers additionally discovered the handgun they mentioned was used within the taking pictures; tracing information present James bought the gun from a licensed gun seller in Ohio in 2011.

SEE ALSO: Who’s Frank James? Digging into Brooklyn subway shooter’s prolonged felony historical past

Investigators have been analyzing many hours of movies that James posted on social media, together with one a day earlier than the assault, through which he delivered profanity-laced diatribes about racism, society’s therapy of Black folks, homelessness and violence. He additionally talked about his historical past of psychiatric therapy, and he complained about New York’s mayor is coping with homeless folks on subways and with gun violence.

James was born and raised in New York Metropolis however had moved to Milwaukee. He’d just lately left Wisconsin and had briefly lived in Philadelphia.

A felony criticism exhibits that James rented a U-Haul out of Philadelphia the day earlier than the taking pictures. It’s believed to be from the ability within the metropolis’s Looking Park part.
Investigators additionally mentioned he rented a storage unit on the similar facility.

Inside, legislation enforcement brokers recovered 9mm ammunition, a threaded 9mm pistol barrel that enables for a silencer or suppresser to be hooked up, targets and .223 caliber ammunition, which is used with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle.

The criticism additionally mentioned he rented an house in Philadelphia for 15 days round March 28. Fifteen days from that date would have been Tuesday, the day of the taking pictures.

Motion Information obtained cellphone video taken by Philadelphia resident Yusuf Gillooly of the FBI raiding the house on Wednesday.

Brokers recovered an empty journal for a Glock handgun, a TASER, a high-capacity rifle journal and a blue smoke cannister.
In line with the felony criticism, James took Lyft rides to or from his Philadelphia house roughly 21 instances from March 28, 2022 by means of April 10, 2022.

Investigators mentioned know-how, video canvassing and getting data out to the general public helped get the case solved shortly.

A lawyer appointed to signify James did not instantly reply to requests for remark.

The Related Press contributed to this report.