A federal court in Brooklyn, New York sentenced the perpetrator of the subway terrorist attack to ten years in prison, media reports. In April last year, a man opened fire on a subway train, injuring ten people. During the trial, he stated that he did not plan to kill anyone, but “only seriously injure him.”
In January this year, 64-year-old Frank James pleaded guilty to all 11 charges brought against him in the indictment. 10 involved a terrorist attack on a mass transit system – one for each injured passenger. On Thursday, a federal court in Brooklyn sentenced him to ten terms of life in prison, the New York Times reported.
Sentence after the subway attacks. Court on “act of pure evil”
Speaking at the hearing, James described the subway attacks as “cowardly acts of senseless violence.” At the same time, he suggested that he was a victim of racism and mental illness for which he “never received proper care.” Judge William F. Kuntz admitted that the convict had a difficult past, but called his actions “an act of pure evil.” He added that this act “was an attack not only on the subway, but on the entire city,” reports “NYT.”
FrankJames SARAH YENESEL/EPA/PAP
April 12, 2022 Frank James opened fire on a subway train driving from Brooklyn to Manhattan. Disguised as a maintenance worker, he fired a 9mm pistol at least 33 times after setting off several smoke grenades. He injured people aged between 16 and 60, then fled, taking advantage of the confusion. The man was arrested 30 hours after the attack after he called the police on a Manhattan street. Prosecutors later said James intended to “cause maximum damage during rush hour.” The perpetrator of the attack himself stated during one of the hearings that he did not plan to kill anyone, but “only seriously injure.”
Frank James sentenced to ten life sentences
According to the New York Police Department, James had been arrested nine times in New York and three times in New Jersey before the subway attack, Reuters reported on Thursday. Moreover, before the attack, he published videos on YouTube in which he talked about violence and mass shootings. Many of the videos he published were full of hatred towards various social and racial groups.
What is the purpose of multiple life sentences in the United States? As Cornell Law School explains on its website, a single life sentence requires the convicted person to serve 15 to 25 years in prison before being eligible for parole. Several life sentences extend the period during which the convicted person cannot apply for parole.
The New York Times, Reuters, Cornell Law School, tvn24.pl
Main photo source: SARAH YENESEL/EPA/PAP