Tyler Clifford, Jonathan Allen

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Federal prosecutors requested a permanent order for detention pending the trial of the suspect in the shooting attack on a New York City subway train. They claimed that he poses a flight risk for the community and is an ongoing threat to it.

Frank Robert James was accused of injuring 23 persons by setting off smoke-bombs and spraying the interior of a New York City subway train car with gunfire. The first court appearance is scheduled for Thursday. This will be his federal defense against a charge of attacking mass transit systems violently.

James, age 62 was captured in Manhattan Wednesday following a manhunt lasting 30 hours for James. The attack on the busiest U.S. metro rapid train network enraged passengers and renewed demands for increased subway security.

James was located 8 miles (13km) from the spot of Tuesday’s attack. It occurred as the Manhattan bound N-line train arrived at an underground station within Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood.

Police reported that 10 persons were wounded in shootings, with five being in serious but stable condition. Thirteen others sustained injuries in the stampede from panicked passengers who poured out of the fume-filled subway car to the 36th Street Station platform. The majority of the victims were expected to live.

James was a gunman who vanished amid the panic. However, police said that they were able to identify him as a suspect in an investigation which revealed that James had both a credit score in his name and the keys of a U-Haul van. He had rented the van and left it parked several blocks away.

Police and court papers state that authorities also recovered the Glock 9 mm semiautomatic handgun from the attacker.

Investigators followed James to Manhattan’s East Village the following day with help from tipsters and residents who identified him in wanted photos. Police also said some people posted sightings of James on social media. According to authorities, he was arrested without any incident.

The New York Times reported and the New York Post reported that James had called police on Wednesday to report his location. He made this call to McDonald’s (NYSE) tip-line. Reuters was unable to independently confirm the claims.

On Wednesday, federal prosecutors in Brooklyn filed a criminal case against James for committing terroristic attack or violence against mass transportation systems. A felony with the maximum prison sentence is life.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office Brooklyn stated that he would make his first appearance in court Thursday.

According to the New York Police Department, James is a Bronx resident with addresses in Philadelphia, Milwaukee and New Jersey. He had previously been arrested nine times in New York, and three more in New Jersey.

Eyewitnesses described the suspect as being dressed in construction workers garb. He is accused of setting off two smoke bombs on the subway train’s rear, before setting fire to fellow passengers.

The authorities have not provided any explanation for James’s attack. An FBI affidavit in the case states that James posted several YouTube videos to address statements to New York City’s Mayor about homelessness, and the subway system.

YouTube took down a YouTube account belonging to James on Wednesday, citing violations of the platform’s community guidelines.

According to the FBI, additional items were found in the subway station. Searches of James’ apartment, Philadelphia storage locker, and ammunition led to more handgun, rifle magazines, and ammunition.