Subway Shooting Suspect ‘Had No Felony Convictions’ and Would Have Been Able to Buy Gun Legally, Cops Say

The suspected NYC subway shooter had no prior felony convictions and would have been able to purchase his firearm legally, the New York Police Department said in a press conference on Wednesday.

Frank James, 62, was identified by the NYPD as a suspect in the shooting during Tuesday’s morning commute, which wounded at least 23, thankfully none of them in a life-threatening way. James allegedly set off a canister that filled the subway car with smoke and then fired 33 rounds. He had allegedly posted multiple videos on social media that said he had received mental health treatment in the past and complained about homeless people in the city, criticizing New York City Mayor Eric Adams for his policies.

After a local man named Zak Lehhan spotted the suspect in a McDonald’s, police were able to locate and arrest James.

NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig was among the federal and state law enforcement representatives who addressed the media Wednesday, just minutes after James had been taken into custody.

A reporter asked Essig if there had been any indication that James was planning any more attacks, and he replied that it’s part of their ongoing investigation.

“Our main focus was to take him off the street immediately,” he added.

“Do you know how he purchased the gun if he had a criminal record?” the reporter followed up.

“You can’t have a felony conviction to purchase the gun,” Essig replied. “So he had no felony convictions.”

The local ABC affiliate in Columbus, OH reported that James allegedly bought the gun used in the shooting in 2011 from a pawn shop in that area, and that the pawn shop was a licensed firearms dealer.

According to the New York Times, James’ criminal record included incidents in both New York and New Jersey that stretched back decades:

Mr. James was charged in New Jersey in the 1990s with two counts of making terroristic threats and was eventually convicted of harassment, a lesser charge. He was found guilty of harassment by a judge. He was sentenced to probation and to receive further counseling. Details were sparse in the court documents relating to his case and the identity of his target was redacted.

Officials said that he had also been arrested several times in New York for a number of offenses, including at least one charge of criminal sex act.

The Times further reported that the evidence James allegedly left behind at the scene included “a Glock 9-millimeter handgun, three ammunition magazines, a credit card with Mr. James’s name on it and a key to a U-Haul van,” which was discovered abandoned approximately 5 miles from the subway station that was the scene of the shooting.

Watch the video above, via CNN.