The manhunt for the person believed to be responsible for the shooting on a Brooklyn subway car is over as the suspect has been arrested. According to CNN, 62-year-old Frank James was arrested by New York police on April 13 in connection to the shooting.
Patrol officers from the 9th Precinct downtown arrested him in the East Village, three law enforcement officials told CNN. His reasons for the shooting have not yet been made public.
According to CNN, a total of 29 people were hospitalized yesterday in connection to the Brooklyn subway shooting. Ten of those victims remain under doctor care.
The investigation has so far revealed that after James reportedly threw the smoke bomb into the subway car, he fired 33 rounds into the crowd. As of 4/13/2022, no deaths have been reported.
ORIGINAL REPORT – published 4/12/2022:
On Tuesday morning, a man reportedly wearing a gas mask and a construction vest through smoke bombs into a Brooklyn subway car before firing his gun aimlessly. According to WABC, at least 16 people were shot or injured as a result of the shooting.
Police are still working to locate the suspect. The shooting reportedly began around 8:30 a.m. and occurred near the 36th Street subway station in Sunset Park and the 25th Street station in Greenwood Heights.
Manhunt for Brooklyn Subway Shooting Suspect in Gas Mask and Construction Vest Continues
“This perpetrator dropped those smoke cans, if that’s what they are, and shot around, and then exited from that point,” retired NYC Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce told WABC. “He’s not going to stay on there if there’s smoke on there, even if he has the filter mask.”
A man who witnessed injured subway riders exciting the platform described what he saw earlier this morning. “I saw a lot of people coming out of the train station. One of them was injured. I believe it was a lady that was getting shot in her leg, and a lot of people were coming up from side to side, screaming, asking for help.”
It remains unclear if police have any leads as to who the suspect may be at this point in the investigation. So far, none of the reported injuries are considered life-threatening.
The suspect has been described as a Black male who stood roughly 5-foot-5 inches tall and looked to weigh about 175 to 180 pounds.
A mother who could hear the shots told WABC that the scene was chaotic. “All you heard was a big, loud noise that sounded like a big bang, an explosion, and then there were people running out of the train station. So it was just very hectic this morning.”
White House Secretary Jen Psaki took to Twitter to say President Biden has been briefed.
Several subway lines have since been shut down as the investigation continues.