Frank R. James injures 16 people in New York subway station

Police chase Frank R. James from Brooklyn In the middle of the morning rush hour, the New York Fire Department rushes to a major operation in the borough of Brooklyn. Thick smoke rises from a subway station, shots are fired. Hours later, the suspected perpetrator is still on the run.

Olivia Miller Olivia Miller
Apr 12, 2022 - 19:18 Updated: Apr 12, 2022 - 20:06
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Frank R. James injures 16 people in New York subway station
Frank R. James

In New York, at least 16 people are injured in an attack with firearms in a subway station. Ten of the injured were hit by bullets, New York Police Department Chief Keechant Sewell said at a news conference. She did not explain where the other injuries came from. Earlier, rescue workers and police had said 13 people were injured - and asked the public to avoid the area around the Brooklyn borough subway station.

According to the report, police and firefighters were called to the station around 8:30 a.m. because of smoke. At the scene, responders found several people shot and undetonated explosive-like devices, according to the report. The New York Police Department stressed that "no active explosive devices" were found.

Surveillance camera in subway

According to emergency responders, five people are in critical condition. However, no one is reported to have suffered life-threatening injuries.

Frank R. James Perpetrators on the run

According to Police Chief Sewell, the perpetrator himself was on an arriving subway train when he carried out the attack. "As the train pulled into the station, the perpetrator put on a gas mask and opened a canister he had in his pocket. As a result, the train car filled with smoke and he started shooting," she said at a press conference. She said the suspect was wearing some kind of orange construction vest and a hooded sweatshirt. After the attack, he took flight.

Sewell could not provide further details on his motive, but ruled out a terrorist attack for now. The incident is "not being investigated as a terrorist act," the New York police chief said. She added, however, that the investigation has only been ongoing for a few hours and the situation could still change. "We can't rule anything out," Sewell said.

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul urged the public at the press conference to be "very careful and vigilant." Anyone with tips should notify police, she said. At the same time, she urged caution: the perpetrator was "dangerous," Hochul said. He had brutally attacked people who simply wanted to go about their daily lives, she said.

People covered in blood It is unclear if there was also an explosion in the station. It is also unclear what injured the passengers without gunshot wounds. A spokesman for New York Mayor Eric Adams said several "smoke-producing devices" were recovered.

Images and video footage show several people sitting or lying in front of a train in the smoke-filled subway station. Some of them are covered in blood.

According to the White House, U.S. President Joe Biden has been briefed on the situation in New York. Senior staff members are in contact with Mayor Adams and Police Chief Sewell to provide any necessary assistance, said his spokeswoman Jen Psaki on Twitter.