NYC mayor calls for psychiatric care after Brooklyn subway shooting

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New York City mayor Eric Adams called for more mental health support for citizens following a subway shooting. Ten people were shot and dozens injured by a gunman on April 12.

The shooter, identified as Frank R James, 62, set off a smoke bomb in a New York City subway before opening fire during morning rush hour. He shot a 9mm Glock pistol 33 times and now faces federal charges.

Meanwhile, Mayor Adams described the grisly shooting and asked for more mental health care and treatment for those living with psychiatric issues. During the Covid19 pandemic, New York City mental health care hospitals shuttered and repurposed as Covid wards. 

“We need the funding from the state to open more mental health beds,” Mayor Adams said. “I rallied with [the New York State Nurses Association] during the height of Covid to talk about the closing of mental health beds they will use for the emergency Covid medical needs, but now we need to get more beds online.”

NYC mayor responds to subway shooting with new approach

The shooter, Frank James Jr, had previously posted on his social media about his struggles with post traumatic stress disorder. Mr. James alleged that accessing quality mental health care in New York City was difficult, if not impossible.

Additionally, Mayor Adams addressed the city’s problem with people experiencing homelessness and mental health challenges. New York City has an extensive issue with people experiencing homelessness across the city. 

“We have to abandon the belief that it is dignified to allow people to live on streets, encampments, tents, cardboard boxes, no access to mental health services, drug paraphernalia, human waste inside these tents,” Mayor Adams said. “This is unacceptable in our city, and we’re not going to allow it to happen.” 

In the shooters’ social media videos, he criticized Mayor Adams’ policies on mental health care. However, Mayor Adams took issue with the criticism and pushed back.

“We [need] treatment beds, safe haven beds, wraparound services,” said Mayor Adams. “We’re going to face this crisis head on and not ignore it.”