Cameras malfunctioned during NYC subway shooting

(NewsNation) — Security cameras malfunctioned during a shooting in a New York City subway station that left at least 10 people shot and more injured, complicating the search for the gunman.

Mayor Eric Adams said there was a problem with the camera system at the Brooklyn area subway station. He said they were looking into the issue.

“We’re not sure if it was a video feed problem,” he said. “If there’s a problem, it must be immediately repaired.”

Up until last September, MTA had not installed cameras in every single subway station. As recently as late 2020, 42% of all MTA stations did not have cameras of any kind.

MTA officials claim that no more than 1% of the subway system’s 10,000 cameras are out of service at any given time. But in a 2010 audit, the MTA found that nearly half of all the cameras did not work in the subway system. An internal investigation by the MTA in 2018, showed that when scheduled maintenance was supposed to happen, 31% of the time the maintenance department didn’t have it done.

When MTA cameras are working, they operate under two settings: real-time surveillance and closed-circuit cameras. Closed-circuit cameras can be reviewed later in criminal investigations.

Police and FBI agents canvassed businesses nearby for video Wednesday. They also asked witnesses and riders to share any video they had of the attack. FBI agents and members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force surveyed nearby businesses, interviewing witnesses and searching for surveillance footage.

The New York Police Department has named Frank James, 62, as a suspect. Investigators believe he rented a U-Haul after a van key was found among evidence at the 36th Street subway station.

The MTA and the Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 100 each offered $12,500 in reward money, and the New York City Police Foundation offered an additional $25,000.

The Associated Press and NewsNation affiliate WPIX contributed to this report.