A hunt is underway after five people were shot by a lone gunman in New York and Washington DC.
The man is accused of shooting five homeless people as they slept in incidents in Washington DC and New York this month, police forces from both cities have said. Two have died.
The first shooting was reported in Washington DC on March 3, where one man was shot in the middle of the night. A second homeless person was also shot on March 8, although both men survived.
On March 9, a third shooting was reported in the capital city after police and firefighters responded to a fire where a man was found to have been fatally stabbed and shot.
On Saturday, the gunman is believed to have moved his attacks to New York where he shot a 38-year-old man in the arm.
The victim had been sleeping in Manhattan when he was shot and screamed “what are you doing” at the assailant.
At 6am, the same gunman then fatally shot a man who was asleep in a sleeping bag in the Soho area of Manhattan, police believe.
A statement from the New York police department said on Sunday: “Today, between 4:36am & 6am, in the confines of thefirst precinct andfifth precinct, the suspect approached two homeless individuals on the street and shot both of them, killing one individual.”
Police officers found the second victim with gunshot wounds to the head and neck.
Although the police are unclear of the motive, New York’s police commissioner, Keechant Sewell, said in a statement: “Our homeless population is one of our most vulnerable, and an individual preying on them as they sleep is an exceptionally heinous crime.”
None of the victims have been named but the police are offering $25,000 (£19,180) in reward for any information leading to the arrest of the gunman.
