Police have identified a person of interest believed to have rented the U-Haul connected to the Brooklyn subway shooting earlier Tuesday, officials said.
Officials did not say whether Frank R. James, the person believed to have rented the U-Haul, is the suspect earlier described as a 5-foot-5-inch black man weighing approximately 180 pounds, and they stressed he may not be connected to the shooting. However, law enforcement describes James as a person of interest in the case and is offering a $50,000 reward to those who assist in locating the suspect.
“This is not a New York City problem,” said Mayor Eric Adams at a press conference Tuesday evening. “This rage, this violence, these guns, these relentless shooters are an American problem. It’s going to take all levels of government to solve it.”
NYPD LOCATES VAN THAT MAY BE LINKED TO SUBWAY SHOOTING AS SUSPECT REMAINS AT LARGE
Law enforcement is investigating recent social media posts purportedly made by James that officials described as “concerning.” It’s unclear what James’s connection to New York may be, as officers say he has addresses listed in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
The New York City Police Department identified the as-yet publicly unnamed suspect, who had been previously entered into a local FBI system in New Mexico but was later cleared after multiple interviews in 2019, through a credit card used to rent a U-Haul cargo van they believe is connected to the attack, law enforcement told reporters.
Police said a van with the Arizona license plate “AL31408” believed to be connected to the incident was rented by James in Philadelphia. The vehicle was found hours later on King’s Highway.
The NYPD bomb squad reportedly responded to the scene of the van, although it is unclear what role police believe the vehicle could have played in the shooting.
At least 28 people were injured, with five reportedly in critical condition, in the incident during the Tuesday morning rush hour commute, according to officials. Ten people were shot and another 13 were injured as they rushed off the train car and suffered smoke inhalation.
The assailant allegedly put on a gas mask while entering a train heading for 36th Street Station when he opened a canister from his bag, filling a train car with smoke. The suspect then fired his gun at least 33 times, striking multiple people in the subway car and on the platform, according to authorities.
Officials on the scene said they found a 9mm semiautomatic handgun, firearm magazines, and a hatchet left behind by the suspect. They also reported a canister of liquid they believe is gasoline and a bag filled with fireworks.
Gov. Kathy Hochul urged city residents to remain vigilant.
“This morning, ordinary New Yorkers woke up in anticipation of a relatively normal day,” Hochul said during a press conference. “Tranquility and normalness was disrupted — brutally disrupted — by an individual so cold-hearted and depraved of heart that they had no caring about the individuals that they assaulted as they simply went about their daily lives.”
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The incident is not currently being investigated as an act of terrorism, and a motive has not been determined, according to officials.
All victims are expected to recover, authorities said.
