Suspect arrested in connection to shootings of homeless individuals in U.S. cities

Police announced on Tuesday that they had arrested a suspect in connection to a series of shootings targeting homeless individuals in Washington, D.C. and New York City earlier this month.

Gerald Brevard, 30, was believed to have committed three offenses in Washington, D.C., between March 3 and 9, injuring two men and killing another, according to a press release. The victims appear to be homeless adult males.

Brevard, of Southeast, D.C., has been charged with assault with a gun, assault with intent to kill and first-degree murder while armed, the Washington, D.C. police said.

In New York City, police believe Brevard shot two homeless men in Lower Manhattan on March 12, killing one man.

"We want to thank everyone in Washington, D.C., New York City, and elsewhere who sent in tips about this suspect," Mayor Muriel Bowser of the U.S. capital said in a statement.

"This man targeted those experiencing homelessness with no regard for life," New York City Mayor Eric Adams said. "Gun violence against anyone, let alone our most vulnerable populations, is sick."

According to the Gun Violence Archive, more than 10,000 people have died or been injured due to gun violence in the United States so far this year.