The assailant in the Broklyn mass shooting has been identified. At an evening news briefing the New York police named the “person of interest” as James Frank. The Manhunt for the assailant was still on, said NYPD Police Commissioner Keetchan Sewell.
The key to a rented van found among the belongings abandoned by the suspect led police to look for a man from Philadelphia as a “person of interest” — meaning they did not have enough evidence to charge him right away but would need to question him.
Police Commissioner Keetchan Sewell said on Tuesday that terrorism was not being pursued for the moment as the motive, although nothing has been ruled out.
Officials from the city and the federal government investigating the morning shooting which seemed to be meticulously planned were puzzled by what triggered the attack.
A shooting or other mayhem with mass casualties is usually not considered by authorities as terrorism unless motivated by a definite political, religious or race agenda.
Although 33 shots had been fired, no one had died while five of those hit by bullets were reported to be in a critical condition.
A 9mm Glock gun mounted with an extended magazine that had jammed was found on the train, according to police.
That the gun jammed may have prevented greater mayhem.
The other 13 victims were injured by shrapnel or had been overcome by smoke or wounded during the scramble, according to the Fire Department which manages the ambulance service.
Videos and pictures posted by eyewitnesses showed victims lying on the blood-splattered train platform and train car and tended to by fellow passengers.
Some of the wounded passengers and others rushed to a train on the opposite side of the platform from the one that had been attacked and were taken to the next station for safety by the train workers.
Describing the attack, Sewell said that the shooter, whom she said was African American, put on a green vest and a gas mask as the train was pulling into a station before setting off a smoke canister, opening fire in the chaos that followed and disappearing into the station.
(With IANS inputs)