NYPD hunting for suspect wanted for shooting homeless in Manhattan
NEW YORK -- The NYPD is asking for the public's help locating a suspect after a pair of shootings in Manhattan.
Police held a press conference late Saturday night. They say the shootings were completely random and the victims were targeted for being homeless, CBS2's Kiran Dhillon reported.
"Two individual were shot while sleeping on the streets, not committing a crime, but sleeping on the streets. a total abandonment and betrayal of trust," Mayor Eric Adams said.
Adams spoke out after two men were shot in Manhattan.
"The video is chilling, to see the cold blooded act of murder," Adams said.
In one incident, police say a homeless man who was in a sleeping bag on Lafayette Street was approached by the suspect at around 6 a.m. on Saturday in Manhattan. He was shot in the head and neck and later died.
In a separate incident a little earlier, police say a 38-year-old Hispanic man was sleeping on King Street near Varick when he was approached by a stranger before being shot in the right forearm. The victim was taken to the hospital and is now in stable condition.
"The victim woke up, made a statement screaming, 'What are you doing?' The perpetrator then responded to flee east on King Street," NYPD Deputy Chief Henry Sautner said.
Police have released images of the man they want to question in connection to the shootings. For now, the mayor says the city is pooling resources to ensure the homeless are safe on city streets.
"All New Yorkers matter. They all matter. This is what I believe makes this case so horrific," Adams said. "We are going to make sure our officers check on those locations that we know are domiciles or homeless people reside or live on the streets. It's cold weather tonight, it's a Code Blue. We are going to take extra steps to encourage individuals to go into shelters for safety reasons."
As of late Saturday night, police were canvassing the city to ensure that there are no other victims.
They're asking anyone with information to call them.