Social media postings by James on YouTube reveal a history of virulent and race-obsessed rants.
After initially being named a “person of interest,” Frank James, 62, has been upgraded to a “suspect” in Tuesday’s New York City subway attack that injured 23 people.
“We are going to close the loophole around and bring him in,” Mayor Eric Adams said on Wednesday during a round of morning talk show interviews. The mayor also confirmed that James is believed to have “acted alone,” and that no other suspects are being pursued.
James, who remains at large, is alleged to have set off smoke-grenades and opened fire at morning commuters on the crowded N train as it approached the 36th Street station in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood. Police say that he fired 33 shots, injuring 23 people including children. No victims have died, but four remain hospitalized.
A Philadelphia native, James allegedly rented a U-Haul van to travel to the city to conduct the attack. A key to the van was found at the scene, and became the major lead pursued by police. Late Tuesday, federal officials found the van abandoned in an alley near the King’s Highway subway station, about 20 blocks from where the attack occurred. A credit card bearing James’s name, also found at the scene, was used to rent the vehicle.
James purchased the handgun he used in the attack in an Ohio pawn shop in 2011, an ATF source told Fox News.
Videos that James posted on YouTube reveal a history of virulent and race-obsessed rants. “This nation was born in violence; it’s kept alive by [violence] or the threat thereof and it’s going to die a violent death. There’s nothing going to stop that,” James said in a clip uploaded onto the channel. In another video, James said “We need to see more mass shootings.” The New York Times reported that law-enforcement officials have confirmed that the videos were made by James.
In another video, James also railed against Mayor Adams, another black man, for his Subway Safety Plan announced last month, which would see homeless people removed from living in subway stations to stable housing. The NYPD increased personal security for Adams on Tuesday in light of the videos.
James has not been captured by police and a manhunt is underway to find him. He is described as a black man standing five feet, five inches tall, and weighing 170 pounds. A citywide alert was broadcast to mobile phones on Wednesday morning, asking the public for tips. A $50,000 reward was also announced on Tuesday for any information leading to James’s arrest and indictment.