Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Accused Sunset Park subway shooter indicted on federal charges
By
Arun Venugopal
Published May 8, 2022
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
By
Arun Venugopal
Published May 8, 2022
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The 62-year-old suspect accused in April of shooting multiple people on a crowded subway train in Sunset Park was indicted over the weekend, officials said.
A federal grand injury indicted Frank R. James on Saturday, charging him with one count of committing a terrorist attack against a mass transportation system and one count of discharging a firearm during a violent crime. He now faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted, and is being held without bail, officials said.
James allegedly shot 10 people riding on a Manhattan-bound N train on April 12th as it approached a station in Brooklyn. Several other people sustained minor injuries while fleeing the scene, authorities said.
He was arrested the next day on April 13th in the East Village after a citywide manhunt. According to prosecutors, James was in possession of “a stockpile” of weapons across “various locations,” including a high-capacity rifle magazine in Philadelphia and a propane tank inside his truck in Brooklyn.
At the site of the shooting, authorities found his cellphone, bank card and a key to a van he’d rented, as well as a handgun they traced to him.
In videos posted to YouTube, James said he wanted to “watch people die” and made bigoted statements against Black, white and Hispanic people.
The attack, coming against a backdrop of rising crime and a number of other high-profile, violent incidents, deeply unsettled the public. Images and videos of the incident showed gunshot victims lying bloodied on the subway platform and on the floor of subway cars.
After the attack, investigators said James boarded a train across the platform and escaped. He remained at large for roughly 30 hours.
Tagged
subway shooting
Arun Venugopal
Arun Venugopal is a senior reporter for the WNYC and Gothamist Race & Justice Unit who focuses on issues of race and bias in our region. His reporting also tackles the topics of immigration, faith, and inequality. Arun serves as the regular fill-in host of the station's "U.S. of Anxiety" program. Arun was the creator and host of Micropolis, a series about race and identity. He is a contributor to NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered. He has appeared on PBS Newshour, On the Media and Studio 360, and has been published in The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal and Salon. He also frequently serves as an emcee and moderator of panel discussions on race, religion, and identity issues and has been a guest host of NPR's "Fresh Air." He lives with his family in Queens.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Rain could put a damper on NYC’s long weekend. Here’s when it will clear.
Remnants of Hurricane Isaias could bring more than an inch of rain, gusty winds and even a thunderstorm Sunday before conditions improve Monday.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Oct 10, 2026 at 10:57 a.m. ET
Holy civics! NYC schools' own comic books in the spotlight at Comic Con
Comic Con continues through Sunday.
By
Jessica Gould
News
Holy civics! NYC schools' own comic books in the spotlight at Comic Con
Comic Con continues through Sunday.
By
Jessica Gould
What we know about the ICE shooting in NYC
By
Karen Yi
DSA to Mamdani: Fire NYPD commissioner if ICE doesn't leave NYC
By
Elizabeth Kim
,
Brigid Bergin
and
Ben Feuerherd
Two people killed in Bronx vehicle crash
By
Kaya Laterman
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .