NEW YORK — The man charged in the Brooklyn subway shooting will be held without bail, a judge ordered during his first appearance in federal court Thursday after a more than 24-hour hunt led to his arrest the day before.
Frank R. James, 62, was charged with a terrorist or other violent attack against a mass transportation system.
In a brief hearing Thursday, James appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Roanne L. Mann in Brooklyn, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. James said nothing beyond telling the judge that he understood the charges against him.
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Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Winik cited the magnitude of the charges against the alleged shooter, saying he is dangerous to the community.
"The defendant terrifyingly opened fire on passengers on a crowded subway train, interrupting their morning commute in a way the city hasn't seen in ore than 20 years," Winik said. "The defendant's attack was premeditated, was carefully planned, and it caused terror among the victims and our entire city."
Federal public defenders Deirdre von Dornum and Mia Eisner-Grynberg, who are representing James, agreed to the detention order and asked the judge to seek a psychiatric evaluation of James.