For the second time in two weeks, there was a mass shooting in a prominent U.S. city. For the second time in two weeks, the suspect in that shooting had an extensive criminal history.
Frank James, the man suspected of shooting 10 people and injuring 29 on the New York City subway, has a criminal history stretching back to the 1990s. He was arrested nine times in New York City between 1992 and 1998 for various offenses, including “possession of burglary tools, a criminal sex act, and theft of service.”
He was arrested in New Jersey three times, most recently in 2007, for trespassing, larceny, and disorderly conduct. In New Jersey, he faced two charges for allegedly making terroristic threats in the mid-1990s. But, despite the threats and his long criminal history, James was never convicted of a felony, meaning nothing stopped him from legally purchasing a gun in 2011.
Repeat criminals being free to commit crimes has become the norm in places such as New York City and Los Angeles. This includes high-profile incidents, with James only being the most recent example. The suspects in the Sacramento shooting, Dandrae and Smiley Martin, both have long criminal records, with one of them being inexplicably released from prison six years early over the objections of prosecutors.
James’s alleged subway shooting spree also comes at a time when New York City has been unable to keep its subway system safe. New Yorkers feel increasingly unsafe using the system during the daytime as assaults and other deadly acts, including a woman being pushed in front of an oncoming train, become regular news.
There needs to be a serious reflection on how repeat criminals are treated in Democrat-run areas such as California and New York City. James was able to jump from misdemeanor to misdemeanor for years with no real consequences. The Martin brothers were violent criminals who never should have been out on the streets. At a time when crime has become worse, the weak-willed liberal prosecutors, governors, and mayors who have been elected aren’t the answer.
