The hunt for the Brooklyn shooter began as authorities raced to find the man suspected of open firing at a Brooklyn subway. At 8:24 AM ET, a Manhattan-bound N train was waiting to enter the 36th Street subway when a man wearing a gas mask deployed smoke bombs and began shooting.
10 people suffered gunshot wounds while 29 others sustained injuries. All of them are currently treated at a nearby hospital. There were no known motives for the shooting at the moment. The police were able to release information about a “possible suspect” and authorities are currently looking for the man.
According to NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig, after the man deployed the smoke bombs, it’s estimated that he fired 33 times. They found a Glock handgun, three magazines, two smoke grenades, and a hatchet.
The police also connected a U-haul van key and a credit card on the scene to a possible suspect. They identified Frank James, a 62-year old man with addresses in Wisconsin and Philadelphia.
“We are endeavoring to locate him to determine his connection to the subway shooting, if any,” NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig said during a news conference Tuesday. “The two crime scenes, the subway, and the van are very active and are still being processed.”
“Mr. James is just a person of interest we know right now who rented that U-Haul van in Philadelphia,” Essig said. “The keys to that U-Haul van were found in the subway in our shooter’s possessions. We don’t know right now if Mr. James has any connection to the subway. That’s still under investigation.”
Meanwhile, New York City agencies are offering a joint $50,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest of the suspect involved in the subway shooting.