Police found a rented U-Haul van linked to a Brooklyn subway station shooting that injured nearly two dozen people, while a manhunt continues for the gunman remains.
Cops late Tuesday afternoon spotted the abandoned van about five blocks from Kings Highway station where they believe a gunman got on the train, and five miles from the 36th Street station where the shooting occurred.
They searched for a U-Haul with Arizona plates believed to be tied to the gunman, but found the van empty in Gravesend, Brooklyn.
On Thursday evening, police identified a ‘person of interest’ in the massacre that critically injured five people. They say Frank R James rented the U-Haul in Philadelphia and that the key to the vehicle was in a set of belongings on the train they think were the gunman’s, reported.
The key was among a Glock 9-millimeter handgun, a hatchet, three ammunition magazines, fireworks and a liquid appearing to be gasoline.
Police are continuing the search for the man who detonated a smoke canister and , sparking terror during the morning rush-hour.
Twenty-nine people went to Brooklyn hospitals to be treated for injuries following the shooting. Ten people were shot, and of those five were left in critical, but stable condition, officials said.
Police declared the gunman to be an ‘active shooter.’ He has been described as a man of ‘heavy build,’ who is 5 feet and 5 inches tall and weighs about 170 pounds.
Police had been eyeing the van after a credit card believed to be owned by the gunman was discovered at the scene of the crime. One of the charges on the card was for the rental van.
The shooting broke out just before 8.30 am on a Manhattan-bound subway car. As the train approached the 36th Street subway station in Sunset park, Brooklyn, the suspected gunman put on a gas mask and released a smoke canister. He then opened fire with a .380 caliber handgun, law enforcement officials said.
No images of the suspect have been made public, as officials have confirmed that the security cameras at the 36th Street station were not working.
Police have obtained an image of the suspect from a video taken by a bystander, according to, but officials are still working on identifying the man.
During a news conference Tuesday, New York City Police Department Commissioner Keechant Sewell said the suspected gunman wore a gas mask, a green construction vest and a gray hooded sweatshirt when he opened fire this morning.
A gun and a bag containing smoke canisters and fireworks were recovered at the scene. Officials believe the gun used in the shooting may have been jammed, preventing the gunman from injuring more people in the gruesome attack.
Firefighters responded to the subway station after receiving reports of smoke. Graphic photos and videos of the incident have been shared across social media, revealing blood-stained subway platform floors and injured people laying across the ground.
Videos also captured the moment dozens of panicked commuters fled the smoke-filled subway train.
Police have also reportedly been searching the city’s subway tunnels for the gunman, who they believe may have jumped into the tracks to flee the crime scene.
NYPD officials say there were no known explosives on the subways. A motive for the crime is still unknown.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who is currently in quarantine with Covid-19, told NY1, ‘We are going to remain vigilant and catch the person responsible.’
New York Governor Kathy Hochul was also at the scene for an afternoon news conference.
White House officials including President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Attorney General Merrick Garland and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas have all been briefed on the situation, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.
The White House said it would provide any assistance Mayor Adams may need.
President Biden brought up the shooting while opening his remarks at a speech in Menlo, Iowa.
‘My wife, Jill, and I are praying for those who are injured and all those touched by the trauma. And we’re grateful for all of the first responders who jumped in action, including civilians. Civilians who didn’t hesitate to help their fellow passengers to try and shield them,’ Biden said.
The President added that his administration won’t be ‘letting up’ until the gunman is found.
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