New York police officers are looking into a recent series of shootings by an alleged serial killer who is believed to be targeting homeless men in the city and in Washington, D.C.
Officials reported that the five shootings that left two men dead occurred over a nine-day period this month and were conducted by the same suspect. The New York Police Department (NYPD) and Washington's Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) are coordinating with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to investigate the case.
Potential Serial Killer
The agencies made the announcement in a joint statement and described the victims in each of the five incidents as "experiencing homelessness." Authorities cited similar circumstances and characteristics among all of the shootings, saying they recovered evidence as to the basis for the joint investigation.
On Sunday night, the mayors of both cities issued a joint statement saying that there was a "cold-blooded killer on the loose." Officials noted that the first incident took place roughly 4:00 a.m. on Mar. 3 in the 1100 block of New York Avenue Northeast, as per CNN.
Police responded to a call of shots fired and later found a man who was suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Medical professionals treated the victim for non-life-threatening injuries, said a statement issued by the MPD.
The second incident reportedly happened at around 1:21 a.m. on Mar. 8 in the 1700 block of H Street Northeast. At the scene of the crime, officers found a second man with gunshot wounds who they immediately took to a hospital to be treated.
According to Sky News, on Sunday, the District of Columbia said they were working with the NYPD to locate the suspect who fatally shot and stabbed a man on Wednesday last week in the capital. The killer is also believed to be responsible for the death of another man in New York on Saturday.
String of Shootings
During a news conference on Saturday evening, Deputy Chief Hank Sautner of the NYPD said that the victim was sleeping when he was shot by the suspect. Allegedly, the man shouted "What are you doing?" as the assailant fled after the shooting.
Roughly 15 blocks away from the shooting on Saturday, officials said that the same suspect shot a man who was lying asleep inside a sleeping bag outside 148 Lafayette Street in SoHo. Police who responded to the incident said they found the man dead before 5:00 p.m. The victim was found with gunshot wounds in the head and the neck.
Despite the number of shootings, the police have not yet offered a potential motive for the case. In a statement, New York's police commissioner, Keechant Sewell, said that the region's homeless population was one of the most vulnerable. He added that an individual who was targeting these people was committing an "exceptionally heinous crime."
The string of shootings has caused some people to recall similar serial attacks that targeted homeless people in New York City. The cases include one in 2019 where a spree left four homeless men dead in Chinatown while another incident in February 2021 where the stabbings of four homeless victims caused the death of two, the New York Times reported.
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