‘Cold-blooded killer on the loose’ targeting homeless men in NYC and DC, officials say
UPDATE: On March 15, the suspected shooter was arrested in Washington, D.C., during the early morning, according to DC Police on Twitter. More information is expected to be released. The original story is below.
Police are looking for a “cold-blooded killer on the loose” after five homeless men were shot in New York City and Washington, D.C. within 10 days, killing two, the mayors of both cities said.
The shootings are believed to be related, the NYPD said in a March 13 news release announcing a joint investigation with authorities in D.C.. Most recently, two sleeping homeless men were targeted in NYC on March 12.
“It is heartbreaking and tragic to know that in addition to all the dangers that unsheltered residents face, we now have a cold-blooded killer on the loose, but we are certain that we will get the suspect off the street and into police custody,” NYC Mayor Eric Adams and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a March 14 statement.
They are urging the homeless populations in both cities to “seek shelter.”
A $25,000 reward is being offered by D.C. Metropolitan Police for any information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the suspect responsible, the NYPD said. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is also investigating and are offering an additional $20,000 reward.
The department released a photo of the suspect in both cities on Twitter that shows the individual dressed in all black and wearing what appears to be a balaclava ski mask covering most of their face. Another Twitter post by NYPD Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell shows the suspect without a mask.
“The work to get this individual off our streets before he hurts or murders another individual is urgent,” the mayors said.
The first shooting began the early morning on March 3 in D.C., according to the news release, when police were called to the sound of gunshots and found a homeless man “suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.” The homeless man was taken to a nearby hospital and treated.
On March 5, days later, another shooting was reported and a homeless man was found with gunshot wounds, the NYPD said. The homeless man was treated for “non-life threatening injuries.”
Then, a police officer in D.C. noticed a tent was on fire before the remains of a homeless man were found after the flames were extinguished on March 9, according to the release. An autopsy determined the man was stabbed and shot several times and died from homicide.
Three days later in New York City, a homeless man was shot in the arm and it was discovered that a semi-automatic handgun was used, police said.
Roughly 12 hours later, authorities were called to a homeless man who was found shot in the head and neck, according to the NYPD. He ultimately died at the scene.
“Given the similarity in the modus operandi of the perpetrator, common circumstances involved in each shooting, the circumstances of the victims, and information from ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), we will move forward jointly investigating these homicides and shootings,” the NYPD said.
Based on the “victimology,” retired New Haven Connecticut police Lieutenant Lisa Dadio, who is the Assistant Dean for the University of New Haven’s Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, told McClatchy News that “it definitely seems plausible the victims are being targeted based upon their outward appearance, living conditions and the like.”
“Our homeless population is one of our most vulnerable and an individual preying on them as they sleep in an exceptionally heinous crime. We will use every tool, every technique and every partner to bring the killer to justice,” Sewell said in a statement.
Another homeless man was found dead inside a sleeping bag in NYC’s Tribeca neighborhood on March 13, PIX11 reported.
A 43-year-old man, whose identity wasn’t released, was found with an injury to his right leg in the neighborhood on March 13 and pronounced dead, NYPD Detective Annette Shelton told McClatchy News, adding that the cause of death is pending.
It wasn’t confirmed whether the man was homeless or if the death is connected to the joint investigation of the five shootings.
“The rise in gun violence has shaken all of us and it is particularly horrible to know that someone is out there deliberately doing harm to an already vulnerable population,” Adams and Bowser said.
Dadio said that “the suspect/s knew their crimes would gain media attention, and did not stop.”
“Law enforcement will do their best to prevent someone else from becoming a victim, but will need the help from the public.”
This story was originally published March 14, 2022 at 9:14 AM with the headline "‘Cold-blooded killer on the loose’ targeting homeless men in NYC and DC, officials say."
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