A gunman on a scooter opened fire in New York City, killing an 87-year-old man and wounding three others in random shootings across two boroughs.
Police said the gunman was on an illegal scooter that did not have a license plate.
The New York Police Department pulled images of the shooter on his scooter and sent them to the phones of all officers, issuing what is called a "critical message." An emergency conference call was also held with top police executives.
Shortly after 1 p.m., the shooter—a 25-year-old Hispanic male—was located in Queens and apprehended by police. He was taken into custody without incident. A 9-mm handgun with an extended magazine was discovered inside the scooter.
The first incident happened at 11:10 a.m. in Brooklyn, where Assistant Police Chief Joseph Kenny said a 21-year-old Hispanic male was shot once in the left shoulder. He was transported to a local hospital and is expected to recover.
Kenny said video of that shooting showed a Hispanic male approaching the victim from behind on a scooter, raising his hand one time, and firing his gun one time, striking the victim.
Approximately 17 minutes later, in Queens, police received several 911 calls about a male hit by gunfire. On scene, officers found an 87-year-old man of Asian-Pacific descent with a gunshot wound to the back. He was transported to a local hospital, where he died of his injuries.
In that incident, the perpetrator was described as a male on a scooter firing at a nail salon.
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While responding to the scene of the homicide, officers were alerted to another nearby shooting. The gunman on the scooter was firing randomly at a group of people, but nobody was struck.
The shooter fled that scene, and about eight minutes later, another victim was hit by gunfire. A 44-year-old Hispanic male was shot once in the face, with the bullet striking him in the cheek. He is now hospitalized in critical condition.
Less than a minute later, a 63-year-old male was also shot. Officers discovered him with a gunshot wound to his right shoulder. He is hospitalized in stable condition.
At each of the shooting incidents, police discovered 9-mm shell casings.
The shooter was apprehended less than two hours after the first shooting took place, said Kenny. The scooter, 9-mm pistol, extended magazine, and additional 9-mm rounds were recovered by police.
The perpetrator had one prior arrest.
"At this time, we don't know the motive. It seems that his acts were random," Kenny said in a news conference. "If you look at the demographics and pedigree of the victims, they're all different."
Acting Police Commissioner Edward Caban thanked the police for their relentless efforts.
"We are all so grateful that this person is no longer on our streets," Caban said in a news conference.
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