Brooklyn subway shooting: Suspect denied bail on federal terrorism-related
In court, Assistant US Attorney Sara Winik described the attack as “premeditated and carefully planned” as prosecutors requested James remain behind bars. Defense attorneys told the federal judge they consented to him remaining in custody for now but may press again for bail later. The lawyers further asked for a psychiatric evaluation to determine James’ medical needs.
Wearing a khaki prison uniform and blue surgical mask, James spoke only once, to acknowledge he had seen the complaint. Outside the courthouse, his attorney, Mia Eisner-Grynberg, cautioned against a rush to judgment.
“We are all still learning about what happened on that train,” she said. “What we do know is this: Yesterday, Mr. James saw his photograph on the news. He called Crime Stoppers to help. He told them where he was. Initial press and police reports in cases like this one are often inaccurate. Mr. James is entitled to a fair trial, and we will ensure that he receives one.”
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The shooting, which came as the train neared the 36th Street station in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood, left at least 29 people with injuries ranging from gunshot wounds to smoke inhalation. Five remained hospitalized Wednesday evening.
“I’ve been through a lot of s**t, where I can say I wanted to kill people,” he said in a video uploaded Monday. “I wanted to watch people die right in front of my f**king face immediately. But I thought about the fact that, hey man, I don’t want to go to no f**king prison.”
In recent weeks, the videos documented his travel from his home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to the Northeast — which he referred to as the “danger zone.”
James had been arrested 12 times previously in New Jersey and New York dating back over 30 years, police said. Yet he had never been convicted of a felony, making him eligible to legally purchase a gun, police said. In recent years he worked for short periods for Amazon and for DoorDash, the companies said.
33 shots and no deaths
The shooting happened between the 59th Street station and 36th Street station just before 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.
The suspect, a heavyset Black man wearing an orange reflective jacket, yellow hard hat and surgical mask, set off at least one smoke device and began shooting at people with a Glock pistol, according to a criminal complaint. Witnesses saw the suspect…
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