Brooklyn shooting update: Frank James ordered to be held behind bars in first federal court appearance

Brooklyn residents speak to The Independent’s Richard Hall about their “heartbreak” over the subway shooting in their neighbourhood.

President Joe Biden praised the response of civilians who helped each other amid Tuesday’s horror subway attack.

“Jill and I — my wife and I are praying for those that are injured in all of those touched by the trauma,” he said on Tuesday afternoon in Iowa.

“We are grateful for all of the first responders who jumped into action, including the civilians.

“Civilians who did not hesitate to help their fellow passengers and tried to shield them. Our team has been in touch with the New York police commissioner and the department of justice is working with the NYPD on the ground.

“They’re going to continue to stay in close contact with New York authorities as we learn more about the situation over the coming hours and days.”

He added that investigators are “not letting up on until we find out and we find the perpetrator”.

A Fox News host complained about the president’s “ghost gun” crackdown during a live stream of the Brooklyn shooting coverage.

As a live stream showed the massive police response to Tuesday’s shooting, anchor Stuart Varney called on Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade to discuss Joe Biden’s push against the untraceable firearms.

“Bearing in mind the situation that is developing in New York City right now, what’s your reaction to the president’s crackdown on ghost guns?” Mr Varney asked.

Mr Kilmeade said the focus on ghost guns was an insult, adding that law enforcement officials he spoke to recognise the issue but that targeting the weapons won’t address the root cause of gun violence.

“It’s like blaming the car for a drunk driver. Yeah, ghost guns are a problem. Of course! If you have an unmarked gun that was put together with parts, yeah,” Mr Kilmead said.

“Most of our audience could get a ghost gun, and not have it registered. But you’re not going to be killing anybody. The problem is the criminal mind, and the punishment that they know is not coming,” he added.

Mr Biden announced the new crackdown on ghost guns on Monday and called for new laws to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

Amid Tuesday’s terror, hero commuters bravely carried each other to safety and administered first aid to those wounded in the mass shooting.

Cellphone footage from the scene showed people assisting their fellow New Yorkers inside the train carriage and on the station platform in the aftermath of the attack.

MTA CEO Janno Lieber praised MTA staff and subway riders who helped people out of harm’s way, saying that it reminded him of the way New Yorkers came together during the September 11 terrorist attacks.

“We saw New Yorkers in a difficult situation and emergency helping each other,” he said in a press conference.

“That’s the subway riders, that’s who New Yorkers are every day.

“New Yorkers of all varieties can come together in small spaces [like the subway] and get along and create something bigger.”

Law enforcement source says NYPD has located U-Haul van sought in Brooklyn shooting, according to AP. The bomb squad is on its way to the scene.

Children have been reunited with their parents and schools have closed for the day without incident following a day-long lockdown in schools around Brooklyn.

The Department of Education said earlier on Tuesday that several schools had gone into a shelter in place in response to the shooting.

The suspected shooter was reportedly known to law enforcement and was the subject of an FBI investigation, according to Newsweek.

“Subject was a previous FBI Guardian Lead out of NM, interviewed multiple times and eventually closed out in 2019.” Allegedly this means the suspect was the subject of FBI inv and known to them.

The van has been located on Kings Highway. The bomb squat is en route.

New York City Emergency Management warned the city of “mass disruptions” as the bomb squad investigates a U-Haul van linked to the shooter.

“Expect traffic delays, road closures, mass transit disruptions & emergency personnel near West 3rd Street & Kings Highway, Brooklyn. Avoid the area.”

“We’re grateful for all the first responders who jumped into action, including civilians who didn’t hesitate to help their fellow passengers and tried to shield them” - Joe Biden.