Authorities have arrested a man suspected of shooting five unhoused men — two fatally — in Washington, D.C., and New York City, NBC 4 in D.C. reports.
The Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives made the arrest early Tuesday morning, March 15. The suspect was apprehended after a multi-state manhunt that launched after several photos of the suspect were released.
The suspect has not been officially identified yet, nor have any charges been announced. A rep for the Metropolitan Police did not immediately return Rolling Stone’s request for comment.
The suspect is believed to be behind five attacks in Manhattan and Washington, D.C., all taking place over the past several weeks and involving unhoused men sleeping on the street. The first known shooting took place March 3 in Washington, D.C., while a second man was shot March 8; both were only wounded in the attacks. The spree continued in D.C. the following day, March 9, when authorities found a man dead in a burning tent. An autopsy revealed the man had died of stab and gunshot wounds as opposed to burn injuries in the fire.
The suspect then reportedly traveled to New York City, and early in the morning Saturday, March 12, shot two people within about 90 minutes. The first victim survived the attack, but the second was killed and his body wasn’t found until 5 p.m. later that day.
Following the Manhattan attacks, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, “Homelessness should not be a homicide. This was a cold-blooded attack. When you look at the pre-meditative action of the shooter, it sends a clear and loud message that we need help from the public.”