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2022 Northeastern U.S. serial shooter

2022 Northeastern U.S. serial shooter
Details
Victims2 killed, 3 wounded
Span of crimes
March 3 – March 12, 2022
CountryUnited States
State(s)Washington, D.C., New York
Date apprehended
One suspect arrested

In March of 2022, a man shot five homeless men in Washington, D.C., and New York City, wounding three and killing two. Shortly before midnight on March 13, 2022, the New York and District of Columbia police departments announced that they believed a single person was responsible for the attacks.[1] The fatal shooting in New York City, caught on tape, shows a man inspecting a homeless man sleeping on a sidewalk cornering a building, then pointing a gun towards the man's upper body and opening fire.

On March 15, Gerald Brevard, a 30-year-old resident of Washington, D.C., was arrested in connection with the attacks.[2] Authorities suspect that the attacks could possibly have targeted homeless individuals, although as of April 2024, it has not been officially ruled as the main motive by any authority figures, nor were any hate crime charges filed.

Attacks

One man was shot on March 3, 2022, at around 4:00 a.m. and another was shot on March 8 around 1:20 a.m.,[3] with both attacks occurring in Northeast Washington, D.C., and the injuries described as non-life-threatening. On March 9, an officer responding to a tent fire discovered a man dead inside due to multiple gunshot and stab wounds. The man was later identified as 54-year-old Morgan Holmes.[4][2][5]

On March 12, a man was shot in the arm in New York City while asleep at about 4:30 a.m., the victim woke up and screamed at the man, "What are you doing?" before the shooter fled the scene. Later, another man was found dead with gunshot wounds to his head and neck, with video footage of the attack showing the attacker approaching the victim and kicking him several times before opening fire. Witnesses reported gunfire around 6:00 a.m. The victim was identified as Gambian native Abdoulaye Coulibaly.[6][7][5]

Investigation

Police initially connected the killings after a Metropolitan Police Captain from Queens recognized the man's photo from an investigation in Washington. Federal investigators from the ATF compared the shell casings and confirmed they were similar.[8]

Both New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that they were coordinating with federal authorities to fully investigate the crimes.[9] The New York City Police Department (NYPD) and Washington's Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced on March 13 that they were opening a joint investigation into the shootings, along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).[3][4] Authorities offered a number of rewards for information resulting in an arrest: MPD offered a reward of $25,000, NYPD offered a reward of $10,000, and the ATF Washington Field Division offered $20,000.[10]

Police in Washington, D.C., released a video of the suspected perpetrator and passed out flyers around the area of the shootings. Mayor Bowser announced to reporters that the shootings were connected, due to ballistic evidence.[11]

On March 15, ATF investigators in Washington, D.C., arrested a 30-year-old male suspect in connection with the shootings. Police said they had earlier received a tip from someone who recognized the suspect.[12][2][13]

Response

Adams and Bowser released a joint statement calling the shootings "heartbreaking and tragic" and the perpetrator a "cold-blooded killer." NYPD Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell noted the vulnerability of the homeless population and that the police would use any tool and method available to arrest the perpetrator.[6]

Adams announced a task force to help identify homeless individuals in subways and other locations and provide information and safe locations at city shelters.[10] However, many of the homeless population refused to enter shelters, claiming that the shelters offered were unsafe and unsanitary due to a lack of resources provided for upkeep and other homeless individuals.[14]

References

  1. ^ Marino, Joe; Celona, Larry; Moore, Tina; Garger, Kenneth (March 14, 2022). "Gunman shot at least 5 homeless men while they slept in NYC and DC: cops". New York Post. Archived from the original on March 14, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Morales, Mark (March 18, 2022). "A victim begged for mercy before Gerald Brevard allegedly pulled the trigger, surveillance footage shows". CNN. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Lyons, Ivy; Barlow, Joshua (March 14, 2022). "DC police, NYPD, ATF investigating string of shootings, homicides targeting men who are homeless". WTOP News. Archived from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Archie, Ayana (March 14, 2022). "New York, D.C. police open joint investigation into recent shootings of homeless men". NPR. Archived from the original on March 14, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Newman, Andy; Robertson, Campbell; Asma-Sadeque, Samira; Southall, Ashley (March 21, 2022). "Behind the Killings of Homeless Men, Portraits of 3 Lives Derailed". The New York Times.
  6. ^ a b Miller, Ryan W. (March 14, 2022). "5 shot after 'cold-blooded killer' targeted homeless men in Washington, New York City". USA Today. Archived from the original on March 14, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  7. ^ Caina Calvan, Bobby (March 24, 2022). "Not forgotten: Community honors homeless man killed in NYC". Associated Press. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  8. ^ Maxouris, Christina (March 16, 2022). "A detective scrolled through social media. What he noticed helped catch a person wanted for shooting homeless men in 2 cities". CNN. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  9. ^ Marino, Joe; Celona, Larry; Garger, Kenneth; Lungariello, Mark (March 14, 2022). "Mayors urge homeless to get off streets as 'cold-blooded killer' stalks NYC, DC". New York Post. Archived from the original on March 14, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  10. ^ a b Yang, Maya (March 14, 2022). "Police seek man accused in killings of homeless people in New York and Washington DC". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 14, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  11. ^ Moore, Jack (March 14, 2022). "Bowser says shootings of homeless men in DC, NY linked through ballistics". WTOP News. Archived from the original on March 15, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  12. ^ Heavey, Susan (March 15, 2022). "Police arrest suspect in shootings of homeless in Washington, DC and New York". Reuters. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  13. ^ Newman, Andy; Southall, Ashley; Robertson, Campbell (March 15, 2022). "Suspect in Shootings of 5 Homeless Men Arrested in Washington". The New York Times.
  14. ^ Hogan, Gwynne (March 15, 2022). "As killer terrorized, some unhoused New Yorkers still preferred streets over shelters". Gothamist. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
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