The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is searching for a potential serial killer targeting homeless people, authorities announced Friday.
Three homeless men were shot to death between Sunday and Wednesday, according to a news release. Two of the victims were Hispanic and the other was black. Photos of a possible suspect and a vehicle that may belong to the suspect were included in the release.
Each of the murders occurred early in the morning in a different part of the city, Chief Michael Moore noted in a press conference. The three victims were shot while sleeping alone in open areas. Police are looking into other unsolved cases of homeless people killed in similar circumstances. (RELATED: San Francisco Cleans Up Homeless Encampments Just In Time For Chinese President’s Visit: REPORT).
“While some similarities have been identified, detectives are working to determine if these murders are related,” the release reads.
“Our message to our unhoused community is clear — try not to be alone tonight,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement, per the release. “We will do all we can to make shelter and services available.”
NR23770am/dm: Murders Involving Persons Experiencing Homelessness pic.twitter.com/MjAlGIopvZ
— LAPD PIO (@LAPDPIO) December 1, 2023
Police said the suspect is male, and it is unknown if he worked alone, per the release. The investigation is still ongoing.
Los Angeles has struggled to address its homeless problem. The city spends over $1 billion annually addressing the issue, but homelessness has increased 10 percent over the last year, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.
Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Monday that California has set aside about $300 million for local jurisdictions across the state to help clear homeless encampments, per a news release.
“Since day one, combatting homelessness has been a top priority. Encampments are not safe for the people living in them, or for community members around them,” Newsom said in the release. “The state is giving locals hundreds of millions of dollars to move people into housing and clean up these persistent and dangerous encampments.”