Frank James, 63, of Milwaukee, pled guilty to ten charges of perpetrating a terrorist attack among other violence against a public transit vehicle.
Frank James pleaded guilty for the charges; one count for each shooting victim, and one count of discharging a handgun in furtherance of his assault.
The allegations stem from the defendant’s mass shooting on the New York City subway in Sunset Park, Brooklyn on April 12, 2022.
According to court documents, during rush hour on April 12, 2022, James used a lawfully acquired Glock 17 handgun in Ohio to execute a mass shooting on a N subway train in Brooklyn, New York.
As part of his attack, James, dressed as a Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) employee in an orange reflector jacket and yellow hard helmet, set off a smoke-emitting device in a subway vehicle before opening fire on his hostage victims.
The smoke-emitting gadget led scared people to flee to one end of the subway vehicle, allowing James to shoot at his victims more easily. His shots struck a total of ten people.
More passengers suffered from smoke inhalation and other emotional and bodily ailments as a result of his attack.
Mr. James’ guilty plea today is a clear acknowledgement of the fear he caused on New Yorkers last April in Brooklyn, and he is being held accountable for his heinous conduct that morning.
According to the inquiry, the incident was the product of extensive preparation. Beginning in 2017, James began acquiring supplies for an assault, such as smoke grenades, ammo, firearms, and his disguise.
In the months leading up to his attack, James conducted web searches for “MTA,” “New York,” “transit,” “stops on the N train,” and “311 kings highway brooklyn ny,” which is near where James parked his rented U-Haul van before entering the subway.
The defendant also recorded and posted videos online foreshadowing his plans, including stating that “if you hear the name Frank James on the news, if something happens to a Frank James that’s sixty-something years old, chances are that’s me.”
