The gunman who carried out a mass shooting in New York City last year was sentenced to 10 life terms in prison by a federal judge this week.
In April 2022, 64-year-old Frank James discharged his firearm during rush hour at the 36 Street subway station in Brooklyn, leaving 10 people shot and more than a dozen injured.
During the attack, he was wearing a gas mask and let off smoke bombs. Video of the incident obtained by local news shows riders in the train cart filled with smoke amid the horror. People are also seen bleeding from gunshot wounds. He escaped but was taken into custody the next day after calling the police on himself. James had pleaded guilty to all of the 11 counts against him, which included 10 counts of committing a terrorist attack or other violence against a mass transportation vehicle.
“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,” the Department of Justice said in a statement on Thursday, the day U.S. District Judge William F. Kuntz II handed down the sentence. “As part of his attack, James, disguised 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.”
Trending Today:
The DOJ said James fired at least 32 times that day. He was also given another 10 years for his crimes. During the sentencing, James claimed that he executed the attack to shed light on the city’s health care system, WABC reported. His defense team reportedly argued that James, diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, has not been appropriately treated for his mental health condition.
“I alone am responsible for that attack, it had nothing to do with race, creed, color or sexual orientation,” he said in court, per WABC. “They in no way deserved to have what happened to them.”
According to the report, a victim said his experience doesn’t just justify the attack. Law enforcement officials championed his sentence and credited multiple agencies for their efforts.
“Today, Frank James was rightfully sentenced for his deliberate and calculated act of terror against our city. He aimed to kill innocent people, who were simply going about their daily lives amid the morning rush,” FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge James Smith said. “It is because of the dogged determination and vigilance of the investigators of the FBI New York’s Joint Terrorism Task force that James was brought to justice and is facing the consequences he rightfully deserves.”
James has been ordered to serve 10 concurrent life sentences, plus 10 years.
