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Police in New York City and Washington, D.C., are searching for a person suspected of shooting men experiencing homelessness in both cities.
Between March 3 and March 9, three men were shot in D.C., and one died. This past weekend, at least two men were shot in New York City and at least one died, according to a joint statement from New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser.
"The work to get this individual off our streets before he hurts or murders another individual is urgent,” the mayors said in the statement. "The rise in gun violence has shaken all of us and it is particularly horrible to know that someone is out there deliberately doing harm to an already vulnerable population.”
The mayors called on residents living on the street to seek shelter.
In another attack in New York City this weekend, a man who was denied entry to the Museum of Modern Art because his membership had been revoked stabbed two employees on Saturday afternoon, the New York Times reported.
The incidents come as cities across the U.S. try to draw tourists again and rebuild their economies in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
In D.C., violent crime is up 20% so far this year compared with the same period of 2021. New York City shooting incidents are up 14% this year compared with the year before.
Adams is scheduled to be in D.C. on Monday for the National League of Cities’ Mayoral Summit to discuss efforts to tackle violence. He is scheduled to join Bowser at a joint press conference Monday at 6 p.m. to speak about public safety.
