Released Footage Appears to Show Suspect Shortly Before Subway Attack

By Abby Liebing April 14, 2022 at 3:46am

Hours before the arrest of the man suspected in Tuesday’s brutal attack inside a New York City subway car, footage emerged that was reportedly taken of him making his way into what became an underground shooting gallery.

The location of the footage was not reported, but according to CBS News, it shows 62-year-old Frank James shortly before the shooting started.

James was arrested early Wednesday afternoon in Manhattan’s East Village neighborhood, according to The Associated Press.

The footage published by CBS News Wednesday morning shows a man wearing a reflective vest wheeling a piece of luggage and carrying a bag.

CBS releases security footage that reportedly shows suspect Frank James walking to the Brooklyn subway station before Tuesday’s attack.

The manhunt is still underway, and a $50,000 reward has been announced for information leading to his arrest. pic.twitter.com/DRoXcprjwp

— The Recount (@therecount) April 13, 2022

By themselves, the images in the footage are ordinary. But considering the violence that was about to be unleashed, they’re chilling.

The attacker entered the Brooklyn subway, stayed in the rear corner of the second train car, then, as he wore a gas mask and a green construction vest, tossed two smoke canisters and opened fire about 8:30 a.m., WNBC News reported.

He fired a 9-mm semi-automatic handgun at least 33 times and struck 10 people, said NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig, according to WNBC.

Do you consider this a terrorist attack?

In addition to the handgun, three extended ammunition magazines were found at the scene, as well as a hatchet, a spray bottle of gasoline and a fuse, WNBC reported.

One of the magazines was still in the gun, another was in a backpack and the third was on a subway seat, indicating that James may have intended to continue shooting.

WNBC reported that a source said the gun may have jammed, preventing the attack from being even worse.

As the police continued to search for the suspect, they found a U-Haul van that James had rented.

There were no other weapons or explosives in the van, but there were food remnants and officials believe he may have been sleeping there, CNN reported.

Videos posted by James included rantings against the New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ administration, as well as black nationalist ideas and anti-Semitic statements.

Initially, James was just described as a “person of interest” in relation to the shooting, but New York officials announced he was a suspect Wednesday morning.

Meanwhile, several victims of the shooting remain hospitalized, WABC News reported.

There were 10 gunshot victims and about two dozen total were injured.

None of the injuries are considered life-threatening, but there were children harmed. The youngest victim was 12 years old.

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