Frank James has been sentenced today to 10 concurrent life sentences in prison, plus 10 years to run consecutively for shooting 10 people during an attack on the New York City subway in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, on April 12, 2022. James previously pleaded guilty to all 11 counts of a superseding indictment, which included 10 counts of committing a terrorist attack against a mass transportation vehicle, one count for each gunshot victim.
“Today’s outcome hopefully brings solace to the many victims of Mr. James, who carried out a horrifying act of terrorism in a cold, calculated, premeditated manner,” said NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban. “From the moment Mr. James committed this appalling crime, we and our law enforcement partners shrank his world until he had nowhere to turn – and the people of New York City worked alongside us. In addition to our colleagues at the FBI, the ATF, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, I thank and commend New Yorkers for their vigilance in helping bring this unseemly episode to a just conclusion.”
During morning rush hour on April 12, 2022, James used a Glock 17 pistol he legally purchased to conduct a mass shooting on an N subway train in Brooklyn. James planned his act of terror for years, purchasing smoke bombs, disguises, firearms and ammunition. He scouted the location for his attack and completed multiple practice runs.
As part of his attack, James, disguised himself in an orange reflective jacket and yellow hard hat to look like an MTA employee, set off a smoke-bomb in a subway car before opening fire on his captive victims. When the defendant started shooting, the train was between stations and then temporarily stalled, leaving victims trapped. In total, the defendant fired at least 32 bullets and 10 victims were struck by his gunfire. Dozens more suffered from smoke inhalation and other mental and physical injuries due to the defendant’s attack. James then fled the scene of the attack, changing his clothing frequently to evade detection while law enforcement engaged in a 36-hour manhunt to find him and bring him to justice.
At some point after the shooting, James purchased a burner phone which he used to follow the coverage of his attack while hiding from law enforcement. On it, James watched 31 videos of news reports about his subway shooting. Finally, James turned himself in by calling the NYPD Crime Stoppers hotline on April 13, 2022, the day after the mass shooting.
“Today’s life sentence delivered the necessary penalty for Frank James, who callously carried out a mass shooting on a crowded subway car, attempting to kill innocent people, and spilling much blood. He wounded 10 victims in his calculated attack and terrorized many more,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “I hope that this sentence brings some closure to the many victims of this violent attack and comfort to the city at large in knowing that justice was done.”
