On this past Tuesday afternoon, approximately 10 Brooklyn subway riders were shot by a man wearing a gas mask who tossed two smoke canisters in the train car to distract a huge crowd before opening fire with a handgun.
While the car filled with smoke, he fired at least 33 times, according to NYPD Chief James Essig, striking 10 people.
Videos captured by other riders show large groups of people panicking, running, and bleeding. A total of 23 were hurt, according to police. Five of the gunshot victims were critically injured, but no fatalities have been reported.
Later that day following the horrific attack, the suspect himself had called in a tip that led to his arrest. A senior law official said that authorities had an image of the man they believe is the suspect and were working to identify him. They also found a U-Haul van that may be linked to the suspect after also finding a key to that van at the subway station.
By Wednesday afternoon, the police department identified him as Frank Robert James and arrested him as the only suspect in the attack. Federal prosecutors charged James with carrying out a terrorist attack on the mass-transit subway system. Investigators were tracing his steps after a video circulated, showing James passing through the subway with a black backpack and a black wheeled case.
This situation also caused the NYPD to go under fire for being so overly funded while still not being able to prevent attacks like this. In February, the city announced plans to deploy more uniformed officers in the subway, but it is hard to know whether increased police would have deterred what James did. However, James has struggled with mental health issues for years and better mental-health services may well have prevented the attack. The ongoing investigation could reveal gaps that could possibly have prevented harm.
This blog post is part of the CIMA Law Group blog. If you are located in Arizona and are seeking legal services, CIMA Law Group specializes in Immigration Law, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, and Government Relations.
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