New York subway attack: What was the motive?

NEW YORK - Accused Brooklyn subway shooter Frank James finds himself under the unrelenting glare of the national spotlight. But in the aftermath of his horrific attack inside the New York City subway earlier this week, law enforcement and everyone else now are asking: Why?

Former FBI agent Kathy Guider believes James craves the attention. 

"He called CrimeStoppers and said, you know, this is where I am that means he's seeking attention. He wants attention. He wants them to know where he is," Guider said.

What motivated the 62-year-old to allegedly unleash terror in the subway remains unknown, as police continue to investigate.

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"I believe through interviews with Mr. James, through interviews with his family, with neighbors. I think they're going to come up with more of a picture of what his real purpose was and by the why behind the purpose," Gider said.

James' previous social media posts may also provide important clues as to what could have triggered his rage. 

"Right now, I have no doubt that there are agents, analysts, detectives going through every one of his social media posts, whether it was the videos, whether it was a written post, they're going to be getting all the necessary court orders and warrants for his, for all social media or his email. They're going to be going over all of those kinds of documents and pieces with a fine-tooth comb," Guider said.

As James faced charges in federal court on Thursday, his public defender asked the judge for a psychiatric evaluation of her client. Determining James' state of mind could also provide important insight as to why this happened. 

Guider told FOX 5 NY that she doesn't know if James is insane.

"I think more along the lines of someone who is frustrated and it's been building for a long time, and he has finally decided that its push comes to shove time," Guider said.