Investigators stressed that it was far too soon to determine if there could be any connection to the subway attack suspect, and if it was any sort of possible test run of the smoke grenades. Nevertheless, officials are investigating to see if any connections could be made.
"This is Frank. You guys are looking for me ... my phone is about to die," the sources say the caller said. The suspect was questioned at the 9th Precinct Wednesday afternoon, before being led out of the stationhouse in handcuffs. A federal complaint in Brooklyn charged him with one count of committing a violent attack with a dangerous weapon on mass transportation, with the intent to cause death and serious bodily injury to New York City transit riders, authorities said.
Investigators believe James may still have been riding the subways following the shooting. MetroCard data isn't real-time, though, and his travel direction wasn't clear, they said. James' last known whereabouts were traced to Park Slope's Ninth Street and Seventh Avenue subway station, which he was seen entering around 9:15 a.m. Tuesday, less than an hour after the shooting, NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig said.
How James escaped the chaotic scene at 36th Street had remained unclear until Wednesday, when top NYPD officials explained how they think, after firing 33 shots, he got out as emergency personnel raced to treat the wounded. The arrest of a man accused of shooting 10 people inside a Brooklyn subway station was a huge relief for New Yorkers who were afraid to take public transit, but anxiety lingers for many straphangers concerned for their safety. NBC New York's Andrew Siff reports.