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Rescue operation after the attack on April 12, 2022
Photo: John Minchillo/AP
The alleged terrorism perpetrator has pleaded guilty to 10 counts following the gun attack on a New York subway last April.
At a hearing in federal court in the Brooklyn borough of New York on Tuesday, the 63-year-old admitted shooting ten passengers in the morning rush hour.
He now faces life imprisonment.
The alleged perpetrator released a brief statement in which he said he traveled from Philadelphia to New York City with the intention of causing "serious bodily harm."
But he didn't want to kill anyone.
The man had previously denied shooting commuters in the crowded subway on April 12.
Long-term attack planning
According to the indictment, he wore an orange jacket with reflectors and a yellow helmet to pose as a subway employee.
He then opened two smoke canisters in the Sunset Park subway station in Brooklyn and then fired more than 30 shots.
Ten people were hit by bullets, 13 others suffered from smoke inhalation or were injured while trying to escape.
Nobody was killed in the attack.
The man initially managed to escape, but after more than 24 hours of searching, he was arrested on a Manhattan street.
According to the public prosecutor, he had been planning the attack since 2017. A weapons cache was found during a search of his apartment.
Before the attack, he had posted several videos of himself on YouTube, which contained lengthy political tirades and criticism of the mayor of New York.
His lawyers said their client had mental health issues.
col/AFP
