One person was shot dead and four others were injured after a gunman opened fire inside a homeless encampment in Las Vegas on Friday, with the shooting coming just hours after police in Los Angeles said they are searching for a serial killer who has allegedly killed three homeless people.
The Las Vegas shooting occurred at around 5:35 p.m. near the intersection of Charleston Boulevard and Honolulu Street on the east side of the city, Las Vegas police Lt. Jason Johansson said in a news conference Friday night.
The victim who died was a man in his 50s, Johansson said.
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The four other injured victims include three men in their 30s; one is in critical condition while two are in stable condition. A male adult teenager is also in stable condition, he said. The victims have not been identified.
The suspect is described as a black man in a hoodie who ran and then fled the scene in a black sedan.
A motive for the shooting is unclear.
Police are also working to determine if this was an isolated incident.
The Vegas shooting comes hours after authorities in Los Angeles said that a serial killer is believed to be on the loose targeting people sleeping alone outdoors.
Three shooting murders happened in the early morning hours of Sunday, Monday and Wednesday, according to authorities.
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One was killed on a couch in an alley. Another was gunned down while sleeping on a sidewalk. A third victim was pushing a shopping cart, stopped near an exterior power outlet, and was shot and killed.
In all three cases, a lone suspect walked up, opened fire, and walked away, he said. However, police also released a surveillance image of a potential suspect vehicle.
The city’s police chief, Michel Moore, described the suspect only as a lone individual believed to be male, wearing a hoodie and other simple clothing. There are no known eyewitnesses. He said that it’s still early in the investigation, but detectives believe the same person committed all three murders.
The victims were not in or near homeless encampments but were on the streets alone.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has warned people experiencing homelessness not to sleep alone.
“To the many Angelenos who have friends or family who are unhoused, please let them know the danger that exists,” Bass said at a press briefing Friday.
‘We must stay safe. We will work diligently to bring those responsible to justice.”
Fox News’ Michael Ruiz and Tracy Wright contributed to this report.
