James Harris Jackson, who traveled from Baltimore to New York with the intention of harming black people, has been charged with terrorism in the murder of 66-year-old Timothy Caughman.
“James Jackson prowled the streets of New York for three days in search of a black person to assassinate in order to launch a campaign of terrorism against our Manhattan community and the values we celebrate,” District Attorney Cy Vance said in a statement.
Jackson told police the killing of Caughman was “practice” for larger attacks in Times Square. He was initially charged with first degree homicide as a hate crime.
“Last week, with total presence of mind, he acted on his plan, randomly selecting a beloved New Yorker solely on the basis of his skin color, and stabbing him repeatedly and publicly on a Midtown street corner,” Vance added. “James Jackson wanted to kill black men, planned to kill black men, and then did kill a black man.”
Jackson’s attorneys have suggested they may pursue an insanity defense.
