Gov. Kathy Hochul and MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber emerge from a subway station on Tuesday, April 12 following a shooting on a Brooklyn subway train in which 10 people were shot.
On Tuesday night, Gov. Kathy Hochul updated the public about the 36th Street subway shooting that happened Tuesday morning in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn.
Police have identified the shooter as Frank R. James, a 62-year-old man who police say has addresses in both Philadelphia and Wisconsin. There is currently a $50,000 reward for his seizure, according to law enforcement.
The attack left 10 people with gunshot wounds and at least 13 others affected by smoke inhalation, injuries from falls and panic attacks. Five of the gunshot victims were critically injured but none of the injuries are said to be life threatening.
According to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, as of April 13, four people still remain hospitalized.
Hochul also visited some of the survivors at Maimonides Hospital in Brooklyn the evening after the attack and recounted some of their stories.
“I had the opportunity to meet the 18-year-old patient, a young Latino man who was a student at Borough of Manhattan Community College,” Hochul said. “He was awaiting surgery on an injury. It was either a bullet wound, or a shrapnel wound. I had a chance to talk to the doctors about his condition, but he was able to communicate with me. He seems to be doing well and he’s in very good spirits, as well as his mother and grandmother who are there as well.”
Authorities have found the U-Haul van that James is reported to have rented out of Philadelphia. It was said to have been abandoned near the Kings Highway subway station about five blocks away from where Frank is alleged to have boarded the train.
James has a YouTube channel, “prophetoftruth88,” where he has posted hundreds of videos related to different topics, particularly about Black women being responsible for the violence in the Black community, newly appointed Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, and his issues with Mayor Eric Adams.
The search for James continues, and Hochul plans to aid with as many resources as available.
“We’re there to help, as well as continue working with our federal partners on leads. We did establish a gun interdiction task force, a nine-state group of individuals who come together regularly. And we believe that if this person has left the state, we’ll be able to use the resources and our connections and relationships we have with the nine neighboring states to help bring this person to justice,” Hochul said.
