BROOKLYN, N.Y. (KYW Newsradio) — Frank James, the man authorities say shot nearly a dozen passengers on a New York subway train last April, pleaded guilty on Tuesday in a Brooklyn federal court.
The 63-year-old James admitted to all 11 counts in his indictment, with no plea agreement, including 10 counts of “committing a terrorist attack against a mass transit system.” He previously pleaded “not guilty” in the spring.
James told the court he only intended to cause bodily injury, not to kill anyone, when he shot and wounded 10 people on April 12, 2022.
James was dressed as a maintenance worker, according to prosecutors, when he set off smoke grenades and fired shots inside the moving train in Brooklyn during a busy commute time. He took off, but was arrested in Manhattan the next day after tipping police off to his own location.
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Weeks before the shooting, federal court documents showed James was staying at an apartment in Philadelphia. FBI agents searched the apartment and found ammunition magazines, a taser, and a smoke canister.
The documents also revealed that James rented a storage unit in North Philadelphia, where investigators found more ammunition, a silencer, and targets.
James had no criminal record in Philadelphia, but had prior arrests in New Jersey and New York before the shooting, including trespassing, larceny and criminal sex acts.
A motive for the attack wasn’t immediately clear. Prior to the shooting, James posted videos online, where he talked about his race, violence and own struggles with mental illness, and dubbed himself the “Prophet of Doom.”
In one video, he appeared to be in a packed New York City subway car, raising his finger to point out passengers one by one.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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