A condemnation full of symbols. A man who shot and sowed chaos in a crowded New York subway train in April 2022 was sentenced Thursday by a judge in Brooklyn federal court to life in prison for terrorist acts, American justice announced.
As requested by the prosecution, Frank James, 64, was sentenced to “ten life sentences”, declared on X (ex-Twitter) the Brooklyn federal prosecutor’s office, as many as the number of victims affected by the shots. The defense, which demanded an 18-year prison sentence by highlighting the mental health problems of the accused, indicated that it would appeal. This attack caused great excitement in a city traumatized by the attacks of September 11, 2001.
Smoke bombs and bursts of gunfire
On April 12, 2022, at rush hour at the start of the day, Frank James, wearing a gas mask, a yellow helmet and an orange construction worker’s vest, set off two smoke devices in a crowded metro car at Brooklyn before shooting the gun, causing panic. There were no deaths, a miracle according to the authorities, but several victims were seriously injured by the shots.
“There were children on their way to school, families, pregnant women, students and hard-working New Yorkers. Many passengers had fled countries at war and came to New York to find safety and economic opportunities,” the prosecution underlined, in a written document dated September 20, 2023, requesting this life sentence. In the subway, “they had nowhere to run. And he fired 32 times, 32 times, in a closed car,” insisted Breon Peace, federal prosecutor for the Eastern District of New York, notably the borough of Brooklyn, on Thursday.
VIDEO. “We got him”: Alleged New York subway shooter arrested
Photos from the court file show impressive bloodstains inside the car and streaks on the platform of the 36th Street station in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn. Frank James was arrested without resistance in Manhattan after a manhunt lasting more than 24 hours. After proclaiming his innocence, he ended up pleading guilty to terrorist acts on January 3, 2023. He explained that he had fired to cause “serious physical injury” and that he was aware that he could have killed even if that wasn’t his intention.
Before his sentencing on Thursday, he expressed regret for the victims, while criticizing the lack of support for people who are poor and suffering from mental health problems, according to US media. Known to the police, the man had run a YouTube page before his attack, called “prophetoftruth88” (“prophet of truth”) where he was seen launching into long tirades, sometimes disjointed and vehement, on racial and insecurity in New York.
2023-10-05 21:09:00
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