Man Who ID'd Frank James Says He Hasn't Received Reward Money for Capture

Zack Tahhan, who flagged down police and pointed out suspected subway shooter Frank James, says he hasn't received any reward money but says he already has the real prize.

Tahhan, the 21-year-old security camera installer who spotted James, has been praised as a hero following a press conference on Wednesday. However, Tahhan took to Twitter to next day saying he hasn't been contacted about the promised reward money but was unbothered.

Following Tuesday's shooting at a Brooklyn subway station, authorities announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to the apprehension of the shooter.

"So many people asking if I got a reward, I didn't get no thing, no one contacted me for the rewar[d]," Tahhan said on Twitter Thursday. "The Big Reward is the people who supporting me I love you all."

The tweet included a link to a page he set up on Ko-fi, a website used by artists and others to raise money from supporters. The page has a $15,000 goal that's 16 percent complete with over 500 donations as of Thursday evening.

Tahhan, a Syrian immigrant, followed up with another upbeat tweet, saying he was happy to see the world united and thanked America for the opportunity it had given him. The tweet included an additional link to his Ko-fi page.

A day earlier, Tahhan described the events at a press conference on the corner of 1st Avenue where James was arrested. Tahhan, who lives in New Jersey, said he couldn't sleep or focus on work after hearing about the shooting.

Earlier, police received a Crime Stoppers tip that James was at a nearby McDonald's but officers didn't find him. Tahhan described seeing through a security camera James as he walked down the street with a bag and cautioned others to stay away from him.

"I see him from the cameras, so I thought 'Oh s**t, this guy, let me call the police,'" Tahhan said. "And I call him and we catch him."

An exuberant Tahhan was later seen being driven off in a police cruiser waving at a crowd and telling them to "be safe."

After James was arrested on Wednesday, New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell told reporters that there had been a call to the Crime Stoppers tip line, but she didn't identify who made the call. Sewell described the nearly 30-hour manhunt for James as an "all hands on deck investigation" that involved hundreds of NYPD detectives.

The NYPD referred Newsweek to Sewell's previous remarks that it was looking into who made the report to Crime Stoppers.

Tahhan's celebrity has grown since Wednesday with Twitter users thanking him using the #ThankYouZack hashtag.

Public officials have also thanked Tahhan for his quick thinking.

"Thank you for your bravery today, Zack," New York Attorney General Letitia James said on Twitter. "All of New York is grateful."

Tahhan could not be reached for comment Thursday evening.

Update 4/15/22, 7:00 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information and background.