Three unhoused men were shot and killed this week in different parts of Los Angeles while they were sleeping alone, officials announced Friday. Now, local and federal authorities are working around the clock to track down the person they believe is responsible.
The first shooting was around 3:10 a.m. Sunday in the Westmont neighborhood of South L.A. LAPD Chief Michel Moore said the victim was a 37-year-old man who was found in a rear alley. The second happened around 4:45 a.m. Monday in the Arts District of downtown L.A. The victim has been identified as a 62-year-old man. The third shooting was around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday in the Lincoln Heights Industrial Zone near Elysian Park. The victim has been identified as a 52-year-old man who was sleeping on the sidewalk. Moore said all three victims were alone in an open area, like a sidewalk or alley, when they were shot and killed as they slept.
You may also like to watch : Who Is Kamala Harris? Biography - Parents - Husband - Sister - Career - Indian - Jamaican Heritage
“We’re cautioning that this individual who we believe is responsible could strike us in Hollywood, in the San Fernando Valley, on the west side,” Moore said at a news conference Friday. “There is no framing of this.”
Moore said there’s no eyewitnesses at this point, but they believe the suspect is a man wearing some type of hoodie or simple clothing. In all three shootings, the man arrives in a vehicle and approaches the victims on foot. He then shoots and kills them, Moore said, before getting back into the vehicle and driving away. Authorities have collected physical evidence as well as video and images from the crime scenes. The LAPD has shared photos of the person they believe is responsible and the vehicle seen at each location.
“I want to be very clear about what we’re facing today,” Mayor Karen Bass said. “This is a killer who is preying on the unhoused.”
Authorities are pleading with unhoused people to stay together, seek shelter, and not sleep alone. Bass said she’s spoken to the leaders of the Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority, the Housing Authority of Los Angeles, and the L.A. Housing Department to get the word out into the community. She said they are deploying outreach teams to look for unhoused people that are alone. Metro leadership has also been notified to direct staff to warn unhoused people as they’re getting off the buses and trains at night, Bass added. Bass said she is also working to open the emergency shelters that are typically used for severe weather so that there is a safe place for people to get off the streets at night. She also shared a message to residents who have unhoused friends or family in the L.A. area.
You may also like to watch: Is US-NATO Prepared For A Potential Nuclear War With Russia - China And North Korea?
The LAPD is increasing patrols and has created a 24/7 task force made up of homicide investigators from throughout the city. L.A. County District Attorney George Gascón said their major crimes division is involved and an attorney has already been assigned to the case to “facilitate the transition from the police investigation to the prosecution.” The Victim Services Division is also working to help the families of the victims, and any witnesses or other people that may need assistance as well, Gascón added. The federal government, the Department of Justice, and the FBI are also supporting the investigation. Anyone with information on the shootings is asked to call the LAPD tip line at (213) 486-6890.
