What We Know About Frank R. James, NYPD's Suspect In Brooklyn Shooting Spree

The New York City Police Department has named a suspect in Tuesday’s mass shooting onboard a Brooklyn subway train.

The shooter has been identified as Frank R. James, 62, from the Bronx, who often moved from city to city, including stops in the Midwest.

On Wednesday, James was named as a suspect after first being identified as a person of interest by the NYPD on Tuesday evening. In an appeal to the public over social media, police said that they were not aware of his whereabouts but urged the public to provide any information that can allow them to locate him.

Police have not confirmed that James is indeed responsible for the shooting spree that left 23 people wounded, including 10 who were left in serious condition. Authorities are seeking to question James after they discovered a U-Haul van from Philadelphia abandoned in Brooklyn under his name.

The key to the van was discovered alongside other evidence at the scene, including the semi-automatic handgun used, smoke grenades and extended magazines. According to NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig, the key was what led them to James, who they say has addresses in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

There is not much that is presently known about James, though police and local media have provided some details.

After the shooting on Tuesday, the New York Times briefly interviewed James’ sister. She noted that there was minimal contact between her and James in recent years and that he was something of a wanderer, but she expressed doubt that her brother would have gone on a shooting spree.

The sister noted that James did not match the description provided by the NYPD for the shooter as a 5-foot 5-heavyset Black man. She said he is 6-foot and over 300 pounds. She also noted that he suffered from a bad back.

Separately, the New York Post reported on James’ social media posts in the days leading up to the shooting. The posts include James lashing out at New York Mayor Eric Adams for his treatment of the homeless population and admitting to suffering from mental illness that started in his childhood.

Additionally, James recorded videos where he touched on racial issues. In one message, he vented that he should "have gotten a gun" and "started shooting" people because of what he painted as a world stacked against Black people.

NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said that Adams’ security detail was strengthened after the videos were uncovered. She described the video as “concerning,” but that does not mean he is the shooter.

“We’re not calling them threats. He made some concerning posts, or someone made some concerning posts. We cannot attribute it to that individual yet; that’s under investigation,” said Sewell at a press conference from NYPD headquarters.