Wednesday marked one year since a gunman opened fire inside a subway car in Brooklyn, injuring more than two dozen people.

Frank James, 63, put on a gas mask, threw two smoke grenades and then fired a handgun more than 30 times on an N train around 8:30 a.m. while it approached the 36th Street station in Sunset Park.

In total, 29 people were injured, including 10 who were shot.


What You Need To Know

  • Bay Ridge resident Houari Benkada was sitting next to Frank James before James opened fire on a crowded subway train in Brooklyn last year

  • Benkada says that he has physically recovered, but the mental toll has been hard

  • James pleaded guilty in January to 10 terrorism charges and one firearms-related charge

James then fled the station on foot, prompting a manhunt throughout the five boroughs.

He was taken into custody in the East Village on April 13 after a group of bystanders recognized him on the sidewalk.

James pleaded guilty in January to 10 terrorism charges and one firearms-related charge. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 11 life sentences.

The attack prompted the MTA to add more security cameras to trains and stations throughout the system.

Still, one victim told NY1 that the event has left him scarred.

“Every time I go to work, I still think about the situation,” said Houari Benkada, a Bay Ridge resident who was on board the train. “You never know what’s going to happen, especially in public areas.”

He described the attack as a “nightmare” and said he was sitting directly next to James, and frantically searched for an exit when the attack began.

“We weren't able to get out. It was just a disaster from the beginning. From the doors not opening. I couldn't get out because the emergency doors weren't working. We couldn't switch cars. The emergency handle wasn't working to contact the train crew. The train just kept stopping between stations,” Benkada said.

Benkada suffered a gunshot wound, and while he has physically recovered, he does see a psychologist to deal with the mental toll that the attack had on him.

“Every time you just walk past a train, you hear a train, you think about it,” he said. “It feels like yesterday.”