Intensive search for suspect in New York subway shooting

Panic in Brooklyn: the footage from the subway shooting 0:47

(CNN) --

An intensive manhunt, involving local and national law enforcement, is underway to find the man who detonated smoke grenades and fired a gun on a crowded New York City subway train. , injuring passengers and sparking a panicked rush during Tuesday morning rush hour.

"The FBI/NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force is comprised of more than 50 agencies and we are fully committed to this investigation. It is still in its early stages. Our focus at this time is that our thoughts and prayers are with the victims," ​​Michael J. Driscoll, deputy director in charge of the FBI's New York field office, said Tuesday.

Investigators have named a "person of interest" who they believe rented a U-Haul van, which has been linked to the shooting at the 36th Street subway station in Brooklyn's Sunset Park.

Frank James, 62, has not been named a suspect.

James has addresses in Wisconsin, as well as in Philadelphia, where he rented the U-Haul, New York Police Detective Chief James Essig said.

"The keys to that U-Haul truck were found in the basement in our shooter's possessions," Essig said.

"We do not know at this time if Mr. James has any connection to the subway. That is still under investigation."

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The van was recovered near the station and cleared by the NYPD bomb squad, police said.

The van will be transported to a forensic location where federal and local authorities can search the vehicle in a controlled environment, a senior law enforcement official told CNN.

The attacker fired at least 33 times, injuring 10 people, according to Essig.

In all, 29 people were hospitalized in connection with the shooting with injuries that included gunshot wounds, smoke inhalation or falls while trying to escape, authorities said.

None of the injuries appear to have been life-threatening, New York Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said.

"We know this incident is of great concern to New Yorkers," Sewell said.

"We cannot lose sight of the victims in this city. We will use every resource we can to bring to justice those who continue to harass the citizens of New York."

The motive for the shooting is still unknown.

The attack is not being investigated as an act of terrorism, but authorities have not ruled anything out, Sewell said, adding that the victims have a variety of backgrounds.

A $50,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest of the suspect, according to a statement from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).

The MTA and the Transport Workers Union Local 100 each offered $12,500 in reward money, and the New York City Police Foundation offered an additional $25,000.

"Passengers need to feel safe. My members need to feel safe. We don't just go in and out of the system. We spend full shifts there every day and every night. This guy needs to be stopped," said local TWU 100 President Tony Utano. .

Service via the D, N and R subway lines has reinstated the stop at the 36th Street subway station and is "running on delays," the MTA said early Wednesday.

The passengers were on a Manhattan-bound N train as it approached the station when the shooting began.

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SHOOTING IN BROOKLYN |

Several people were shot at a Brooklyn subway station, where "multiple unexploded devices" were also found, according to police authorities.

Take a look at the photos of the event in this gallery.

(Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images) →

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According to police, a man possibly wearing a gas mask and an orange construction vest fled the scene to an unknown location.

This is an image of the subway platform after the shooting.

(Credit: Kay Xie)

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Following the incident, at least 16 people were taken to area hospitals.

(Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

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The events occurred at the 36th Street and 4th Avenue subway station at approximately 8:30 am local time.

(Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

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The New York Police Department said "there are no active explosive devices" in relation to the people injured in the subway station.

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Emergency personnel gather at the entrance of a subway stop in the Brooklyn borough of New York, on April 12, 2022. This is what the scene looked like with the emergency operation.

(John Minchillo/AP)

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All schools in the nearby Brooklyn area are under a closure order, according to a Department of Education spokesman.

That means no one can leave the building and only students can enter. The spokesperson did not say how many schools or how wide the strip is.

In this photo passers-by appear observing the police operation in the streets of Brooklyn.

(Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

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New York police officers take to the streets after the shooting at the subway station.

(Credit: ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

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Authorities found a gun in the subway station, as well as multiple high-capacity magazines.

Two officials said they believe the gun jammed during the shooting.

Investigators also recovered fireworks and gunpowder at the scene of the Brooklyn subway shooting, two law enforcement sources say.

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In this image, injured people are seen on the platform of the 36th Street subway station on Tuesday.

This photo was taken by photojournalist Derek French, who told CNN that he took advantage of his Red Cross first aid training to help victims.

While helping them, French also discovered that he himself had been shot in the ankle and was bleeding.

Editor's note: CNN has applied a blur filter here to protect the identity of the victim.

(Credit: Derek French/Shutterstock)

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The images of the people in the place show the moment of panic and the wounded after the shooting.

(Credit: Armen Armenian)

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Witness footage shows blood on the floor and people injured on the platform of the 36th Street Station in Brooklyn, NY.

(Credit: Armen Armenian)

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Two law enforcement sources told CNN that investigators identified the shooting suspect after finding a credit card at the scene that was used to rent a U-Haul pickup truck.

(David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

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The U-Haul van is "related to" the shooting was also located in Brooklyn, which police say.

(David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

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An NYPD officer checks security cameras near the scene.

(Credit: Andrew Kelly/Reuters)

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People watch from a house near the scene of the shooting.

(Credit: Brendan McDermid/Reuters)

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New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell speaks about the shooting at a news conference Tuesday.

"We are determining what the motive is and will find out as the investigation progresses," she said.

(Credit: Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images)

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A person walks past the subway station entrance after the shooting.

(Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Piece together what happened to the suspect in the subway attack

Gathering evidence of the incident "will take some time," according to Driscoll, but he added that he was grateful to residents and eyewitnesses who have already stepped forward with information.

Investigators have cellphone video from a witness showing the suspect, a law enforcement source told CNN.

Inside the station, surveillance video became available.

A preliminary review indicates there was some kind of malfunction with the camera system at the station, Mayor Eric Adams told WCBS Radio.

There are nearly 10,000 cameras on the MTA system, including nearly 600 cameras in the section of Brooklyn where the attack occurred, MTA President and CEO Janno Lieber told CNN's Jake Tapper.

"We're going to work with the NYPD to capture all of that video and figure out where this criminal could have entered or exited the system," Lieber said.

"And we're also reviewing all the information with everyone involved."

Investigators found a Glock 9mm pistol, three extended magazines, two detonated smoke grenades, two undetonated smoke grenades, an ax and the U-Haul key at the scene, Essig said.

Two officials told CNN they believe the gun jammed during the shooting.

A credit card that was used to rent the U-Haul was also found, two law enforcement sources told CNN.

• A quiet ride on the Brooklyn subway turned into a "war zone" that left more than 20 injured, according to the mayor of New York

Survivor says he was sitting next to shooter on New York subway 4:29

Videos linked to James

James, described as a person of interest by the NYPD, has been linked to several inconsistent videos posted on a YouTube channel.

A screenshot of one of the videos was used in a NYPD Crimestoppers flyer seeking information about the shooting.

James spoke about the violence and mass shootings in the videos, including one he uploaded Monday in which he said he thought about killing the people who had allegedly hurt him.

"I've been through a lot of shit, where I can say I wanted to kill people. I wanted to see people die right in front of my fucking face right away. But I thought about the fact that, hey man, I don't want to go anywhere." damn prison," he said.

In another video posted last week, James, who is black, rants about abuse in churches and racism in the workplace, using misogynistic and racist language.

Many of the videos James posted included references to violence, including to a certain group of people he believed had smeared him, as well as broad social and racial groups he seemed to hate.

In another video posted last month to the same channel, James said he had post-traumatic stress.

In that video, James said he left his home in Milwaukee on March 20.

During the drive east, he said he was heading into the "danger zone."

"You know, it's causing a lot of negative thoughts, of course," he said in the video.

"I have a severe case of post-traumatic stress."

CNN has reached out to James and his family for comment but has not received a response.

— Brynn Gingras, Mark Morales, Kristina Sgueglia, Rob Frehse, Sharif Paget, Caroll Alvarado, Nicole Chavez, Alaa Elassar, Amir Vera, Eric Levenson, Jason Hanna, Peter Nickeas, Yon Pomrenze, Elizabeth Wolfe, Chris Boyette, David Shortell, Paul CNN's P. Murphy, Juan Alejandro Olarte-Cortes, Hannah Rabinowitz, and Holmes Lybrand contributed to this story.

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