The Metropolitan Police Department in Washington announced early Tuesday morning that a suspect had been arrested in the shootings of five homeless men in D.C. and New York City, two of them fatally, over a 10-day period this month.
The announcement, which was posted on the department’s Twitter page at 5:40 a.m., said, “Early this AM, law enforcement arrested the suspect in Washington, DC. He is currently being interviewed at our Homicide Branch. Additional information will be forthcoming. Thanks to the community for all your tips.”
ARRESTED: Early this AM, law enforcement arrested the suspect in Washington, DC. He is currently being interviewed at our Homicide Branch. Additional information will be forthcoming. Thanks to the community for all your tips. pic.twitter.com/lvFu3LeMTd
— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) March 15, 2022
Police released photos of the suspect on Monday evening and offered a financial reward to anyone who provided information that led to his arrest and conviction.
MORE PHOTOS of the wanted suspect. Tipsters are eligible for a reward of up to $55,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction.@NYPDnews @ATFWashington https://t.co/ENZRG4fzV7 pic.twitter.com/niCz74Nb0V
— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept) March 14, 2022
The department announced on Sunday that the five shootings had been committed by the same gunman.
As to what led the D.C. police to conclude that one suspect was responsible for all of the shootings, the report cited “the similarity in the modus operandi of the perpetrator, common circumstances involved in each shooting, circumstances of the victims and recovered evidence.”
The statement did not reveal any details about what specific evidence tied the crimes together.
However, following the suspect’s arrest on Tuesday, the New York Post reported that police made the connection after a homicide captain saw surveillance videos of both New York shootings and realized it was the same individual they were searching for.
“Police believe the same handgun was used in all the shootings, with ballistics linking at least one shooting in each city,” the report said.
The first three shootings occurred over a six-day period in early March in Washington.
According to the department’s announcement on Sunday, police responded to a report that shots had been fired in D.C.’s Fifth District at 4 a.m. on March 3. The victim, a homeless male, was taken to the hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
The second attack occurred in the same district shortly after 1 a.m. on March 8. Again, the victim, a homeless male, had been shot and was transported to the hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
The third incident was far more serious. Just before 3 a.m. on March 9, a D.C. police officer patrolling the Fifth District noticed that a tent was on fire and called the Fire Department and EMS. The victim, also an adult male, was pronounced dead at the scene.
An autopsy performed by Washington’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner “determined that the cause of death was multiple stab and gunshot wounds” and the “death was ruled a homicide.”
On Saturday, two additional homeless men were targeted in the Soho district of Lower Manhattan, resulting in one death.
The D.C. police report said that at approximately 4:30 a.m., an adult male was “shot in the arm while sleeping on King Street.” His injuries were non-life-threatening.
Later in the day, around 5 p.m., another man was shot in the head and neck and died from his wounds.
Commenting on the shootings, New York Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said, “Our homeless population is one of our most vulnerable and an individual [preying] on them as they sleep is an exceptionally heinous crime. We will use every tool, every technique and every partner to bring the killer to justice.”
NYPD officers are working tirelessly to bring the person responsible for the murders of two of our most vulnerable New Yorkers to justice. They’re connecting with those in need of services, searching block-by-block, and in contact with @DCPoliceDept partners. We will find him. https://t.co/pjg5xaMSB1 pic.twitter.com/8mupAcWlfy
— Commissioner Sewell (@NYPDPC) March 14, 2022
Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee said: “From the first incident, the Metropolitan Police has spared no resource in our efforts to identify the suspect behind these cowardly acts. We are committed to sharing every investigative path, clue and piece of evidence with our law enforcement partners to bring this investigation to a swift conclusion and the individual behind these vicious crimes to justice.”
Sadly, few people will be shocked by this story, given the spike in violent crimes in U.S. cities following the “defund the police” movement and other soft-on-crime policies from Democratic officials.
Democrats will likely react with calls for tougher gun laws.
It’s not clear what it will take for liberals to wake up and admit that their solutions wouldn’t have made a difference. Perhaps when it hits a little closer to home.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
