Brooklyn subway shooting suspect arrested

By Adrienne Vogt, Aditi Sangal, Melissa Macaya, Veronica Rocha, Maureen Chowdhury and Mike Hayes, CNN

Updated 6:27 p.m. ET, April 13, 2022
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4:22 p.m. ET, April 13, 2022

Brooklyn subway shooting suspect documented his travel to New York in YouTube videos

From CNN's Paul P. Murphy and Aileen Graef

Brooklyn subway shooting suspect Frank James documented his travel from Wisconsin to the northeast over a series of YouTube videos posted in recent weeks. 

In a video uploaded on March 20, James said that he had left Milwaukee — authorities have said he is associated with addresses in Wisconsin — and was spending the night in a Fort Wayne, Indiana, hotel.

"Just on the drive man I'm just thinking because I'm heading back into the danger zone so to speak," he said in that video. "You know, it is triggering a lot of negative thoughts of course because I do suffer, I have a bad severe case of post-traumatic stress after the sh*t I've been through all the f***ing years man."

James indicated that he was transporting all his belongings in the van and that he would be storing some of them in a Philadelphia-area storage unit. Although James said that Philadelphia was his final destination, he said that the Penske truck he rented needed to be dropped off in Newark, New Jersey.

CNN reached out to Penske, who would not confirm that James rented a van, but did say they had reached out to the FBI to assist in their investigation.

After the night in Fort Wayne, James continued east and made his way to Pittsburgh, where he said in a video uploaded on March 21 that he was staying in a hotel near the Pittsburgh International Airport.

The next night, in another video, James said that he had gotten a hotel near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

In that video, he is seen drinking whiskey and later, begins to show signs of intoxication. Towards the end of the video, he begins slurring his words and at one point, he says he is falling asleep.

He said that he had recently stopped drinking because it gave him "the shakes."

Around March 25, James uploaded a video claiming that he had made it to the Philadelphia area. It's unclear where James was between March 22 and March 25 based on the videos.

In that March 25 video, James said he was staying in a Best Western hotel in Bordentown, New Jersey. He also gave his room number and a small tour of the room.

James is also seen drinking in that video.

“Alright, so I tried to get high by dragging some Jim Beam a little earlier to make this video," he said. "Want to be high to make this video because I felt that I couldn't really — I seem to do my best work when I'm high."

James also said that he was last in New York "a few years ago.

In the video, James also mentions that he would be staying in the hotel until March 28, when he would move to other lodging inside Philadelphia.

The videos have since been removed by YouTube.

CNN has confirmed that James rented a short-term rental apartment on West Ontario Street in Philadelphia. A neighbor identified James to CNN, saying that James was at the apartment last week seen taking boxes out of a U-Haul truck.

The neighbor also told CNN that law enforcement recently searched the apartment.

In a criminal complaint unsealed after James was taken into custody, prosecutors alleged that James did in fact rent an apartment and a storage unit in Philadelphia. Records from rideshare operator Lyft indicate that he visited the facility on April 11 on 6:17 p.m. ET, according to the complaint.

Those records also indicate that James ordered approximately 21 rides to and from the apartment from March 28 and April 10. CNN has reached out to the management company for the Philadelphia apartment for comment but has not yet received a response.

According to the complaint, records from the apartment management company indicate James rented the apartment for at least 15 days.

James did not mention any plans to visit the New York area or convey any concrete plans that he was planning a shooting in the videos that CNN has reviewed.

CNN has previously reported that on April 6, James made a reservation to pick up a U-Haul van on April 11 in Philadelphia, according to documentation of the transaction.

At 4 a.m. ET Tuesday, just hours before the attack, James drove the U-Haul van into Brooklyn from Staten Island across the Verrazzano bridge, CNN has reported.

James was taken into custody on Manhattan's Lower East Side on Wednesday afternoon around 2 p.m. ET.

4:23 p.m. ET, April 13, 2022

Video shows moment subway shooting suspect was arrested

From CNN's Brynn Gingras, Pervaiz Shallwani and Carol Alvarado

New York City Police Department officers arrest subway shooting suspect Frank R. James, 62, in the East Village section, of New York on Wednesday, April 13.
New York City Police Department officers arrest subway shooting suspect Frank R. James, 62, in the East Village section, of New York on Wednesday, April 13. (Meredith Goldberg/AP)

CNN has obtained new video showing the arrest of subway shooting suspect Frank James.

Officials said James was arrested without incident by patrol officers on the street in New York's East Village neighborhood on Wednesday afternoon after police got a tip on its Crime Stoppers hotline.

The video shows James in handcuffs being escorted by two police officers in the street.

Watch the video here:

3:34 p.m. ET, April 13, 2022

YouTube removes account linked to Brooklyn shooting suspect

From CNN’s Clare Duffy and Richard Davis

YouTube confirmed on Wednesday that it removed an account that appeared to be from Brooklyn subway shooting suspect Frank James.

James, who was arrested on Thursday as a suspect in the New York subway shooting, had talked about violence and mass shootings in videos posted on the social media platform — including one uploaded Monday.

“Following the tragic event in New York City, our Trust and Safety team identified and terminated a YouTube channel associated with the suspect, in accordance with our creator responsibility guidelines,” YouTube spokesperson Jack Malon said in a statement.

Malon went on to say that YouTube’s systems are “prominently surfacing videos from authoritative sources in search and recommendations.”

3:12 p.m. ET, April 13, 2022

How investigators tracked and arrested the subway shooting suspect after he fired at passengers 

Chief of Detectives James Essig speaks during a press conference on April 13 in New York.
Chief of Detectives James Essig speaks during a press conference on April 13 in New York. (WABC)

New York City Police Department Chief of Detectives James Essig detailed what suspect Frank James did after shooting at passengers on a Brooklyn subway on Tuesday.

"We believe, but this is still early in the investigation, that after firing his weapon 33 times at innocent New York City subway riders, Mr. James boarded an R train that had pulled into the station, went one stop up and exited at the 25th Street station. We also have a picture of that. The gun used in this — a 9 millimeter Glock — which was recovered at this crime scene, was purchased by Mr. James in 2011 in Ohio," Essig said.

The official also noted that the construction helmet James was wearing was recovered in a garbage bin.

Essig said officials then tracked James' location before he was arrested.

"We tracked Mr. James, and his last known whereabouts was 7th Avenue and 9th Street in Park Slope, entering the subway. Minutes ago, thankfully, NYPD patrol officers from the 9th Precinct responded to St. Marks [Place] and First Avenue, where they apprehended him without incident," Essig said, noting that the suspect was in Park Slope at about 9:15 a.m. ET yesterday.

Kenneth Corey, the NYPD chief of department, described how the arrest unfolded today, explaining that investigators got a CrimeStoppers tip that the suspect was in a McDonald's at 6th Street and First Avenue in the East Village.

"Officers respond to the McDonald's. He's not in the McDonald's. They start driving around the neighborhood looking for him, they see him on the corner of St. Marks [Place] and First [Avenue] and they take him into custody," he said.

The case was quickly solved using technology and video canvassing, he added. He also thanked federal and regional partners.

3:18 p.m. ET, April 13, 2022

MTA chair: "New Yorkers will rest a little easier tonight" thanks to NYPD's arrest of suspected shooter 

Janno Lieber, chair of New York City's Metropolitan Transit Authority, said that New Yorkers will "rest a little easier tonight" thanks to the work of NYPD officials in arresting the suspected Brooklyn subway shooter.

“Transit riders and all New Yorkers will rest a little easier tonight thanks to the incredible work of the NYPD. Since the attack, the MTA has been cooperating closely with police on the investigation, reviewing countless hours of video from thousands of cameras across the subway and bus network," Lieber said in a statement.

The statement continued: “With the support of Governor Hochul, Mayor Adams has made a powerful commitment to subway safety and has already taken significant steps to increase the presence and visibility of NYPD officers in the transit system—especially on platforms and trains, where riders want to see them most. We look forward to continuing to strengthen this partnership as we restore riders’ confidence in the transit system.”

2:57 p.m. ET, April 13, 2022

Subway shooting suspect to be charged in federal court, US attorney says

Breon Peace speaks during a press conference on April 13 in New York.
Breon Peace speaks during a press conference on April 13 in New York. (WABC)

The Brooklyn US Attorney said today that the subway shooting suspect will be charged in federal court.

Breon Peace, US attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said that Frank James will face multiple counts, including the use of a dangerous weapon to cause death and serious injury to passengers and employees on the New York subway system. Peace said that James has been charged with one count of violating 18 U.S.C. 1992(a)(7), which prohibits terrorist and other violent attacks against mass transportation systems.

He will face a sentence of up to life imprisonment if convicted, Peace said.

Peace added that his office intends to prove that "James traveled across a state line in order to commit the offense and transported materials across a state line in aid of the commission of the offense."

“Yesterday was a dark day for all of us. But the bright spots of the incredible heroism of our fellow New Yorkers helping each other in a time of crisis, the quick response by our first responders, and the hard work by all of our law enforcement partners that has been ongoing truly shines bright," Peace said in a statement at the news conference Wednesday afternoon.

2:55 p.m. ET, April 13, 2022

NYPD commissioner on Brooklyn shooting suspect: "There was nowhere else for him to run"

NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell speaks during a press conference on April 13 in New York.
NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell speaks during a press conference on April 13 in New York. (WABC)

Suspected Brooklyn subway shooter Frank James was stopped on the street and arrested by NYPD officers who were responding to a crime stoppers tip, New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said.

"Moments ago Frank Robert James was stopped on the street and arrested by members of the New York City Police Department. Officers in response to a crime stoppers tip stopped Mr. James at 1:42 p.m. at the corner of St. Marks Place and 1st Ave. in Manhattan," the official said.

"He was taken into custody without incident and has been transported to NYPD facility," Sewell continued.

James will charged with committing yesterday's "appalling crime in Brooklyn," the official said. "We were able to shrink his world quickly, there was nowhere else for him to run,” she added.

James was previously arrested nine times in New York City, according to New York Police Department Chief of Detectives James Essig.

"Through the course of this investigation, we developed additional information and evidence," he said Wednesday. "Mr. James is a male, 62 years old. He is known to us and has ties in Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York City. His arrest history in New York is nine prior arrests, dating from 1992 to 1998. Those include possession of burglary tools four times, criminal sex act, theft of service two times. He was arrested on a New Jersey warrant. He also has a criminal tampering."

Additionally, James has three arrests in New Jersey, Essig said.

"He has three arrests to New Jersey. In 1991, 1992, and 2007. They are for trespass, larceny and disorderly conduct," he told reporters.

However, James had no felony convictions so he was able to purchase a gun, Essig said in response to a reporter's question.

Here's where the arrest occurred:

CNN's Kristina Sgueglia contributed reporting to this post.

2:54 p.m. ET, April 13, 2022

"We got him": New York City Mayor Eric Adams announces arrest of Brooklyn subway shooting suspect

New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a press conference on April 13.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a press conference on April 13. (WABC)

New York City Mayor Eric Adams opened a news conference following the arrest of Brooklyn subway shooting suspect Frank James telling New Yorkers "we got him."

"My fellow New Yorkers. We got him. We got him. I cannot thank the men and women of the New York City Police Department enough, as well as the federal agents and our state police and first responders — from the 911 operators to the various state and medical professions, we got him," Adams said. 

Adams, who tested positive for Covid-19 over the weekend, appeared via video link on Wednesday afternoon.

Adams thanked everyone who called in tips during the less than 30 hours that James was on the loose after Tuesday's shooting.

2:32 p.m. ET, April 13, 2022

NOW: Police give update on Brooklyn subway shooting investigation following arrest of suspect 

From CNN's Pervaiz Shallwani, Shimon Prokupecz, Laura Ly, Artemis Moshtaghian, Kristina Sgueglia and Eric Levenson

New York Police Department Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell speaks during a press conference following the shooting on April 12 in New York City.
New York Police Department Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell speaks during a press conference following the shooting on April 12 in New York City. (Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images)

New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and other officials are providing an update on the Brooklyn subway shooting investigation.

Ahead of the briefing, law enforcement officials told CNN the suspected shooter Frank James was arrested by patrol officers in the East Village in New York City today.

The 62-year-old man, who police initially described as a “person of interest” in the shooting, was declared a suspect earlier Wednesday after investigators determined he purchased the gun recovered at the scene, law enforcement officials said.

An intensive hunt was underway for James, who police say is responsible for Tuesday’s attack. Two law enforcement officials told CNN that the gun evidence was the turning point in elevating him from a person of interest to a suspect.

The subway attack left 29 people injured, including 10 who were shot, though none of the injuries appear to be life-threatening, officials said. Five of the victims were young people commuting to school, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said.

The motive of the shooting is not yet known. The attack is not being investigated as an act of terrorism but authorities have not ruled out anything, the NYPD commissioner said.