Subway shooter Frank James gets 10 life sentences for Brooklyn rampage

From brooklyneagle.com

Nearly a year after striking fear in the hearts of straphangers with a violent rampage, the Brooklyn subway shooter will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Frank James, 64, from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was hit with 10 concurrent life sentences plus an additional 10 years by United States District Judge William Kuntz on Thursday. The sentence was handed down for his monstrous attack on an N subway train in Sunset Park.

On the fateful morning of April 12, 2022, James unleashed a hailstorm of bullets, firing 32 rounds and wounding 10 terrified commuters. He had pleaded guilty to all 11 counts of a superseding indictment, which included 10 counts of committing a terrorist attack against a mass transportation vehicle, and one for discharging a firearm in furtherance of his violent onslaught.

The prosecution was led by Attorney General Merrick Garland and U.S. Attorney Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and other high- ranking officials.

“Today’s life sentence delivered the necessary penalty for Frank James, who callously carried out a mass shooting on a crowded subway car, attempting to kill innocent people, and spilling much blood. He wounded 10 victims in his calculated attack

and terrorized many more,” said Peace. “I hope that this sentence brings some closure to the many victims of this violent attack and comfort to the city at large in knowing that justice was done.”

The chilling attack, planned for years, involved disguises and smoke bombs. Dressed to look like an MTA employee, James set off a smoke bomb before opening fire. Tragically, the train was between stations and temporarily stalled, trapping the victims inside the subway car.

While on the lam for 36 hours, James used a burner phone to track media coverage of his horrifying act, even indulging in repeated viewings of a James Bond chase scene. He finally turned himself in the day after the massacre.

New York’s law enforcement community praised the sentencing. NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban commended the collective efforts in bringing James to justice.