RICHMOND HILL, Queens (WABC) — A gunman riding a scooter killed an 86-year-old man and wounded three others in a series of random shootings in Queens and Brooklyn, police said.
Thomas Abreu, 25, was arrested by police and charged Sunday with murder, attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon.
A 9 mm pistol with an extended magazine and a scooter were recovered.
“We don’t know the reason. It appears his actions were random,” Kenny said. “The video shows that he’s not targeting anyone; he’s not following anyone while he’s driving around on his scooter, he’s shooting people at random.”
The shootings began around 11:10 a.m. when someone on a scooter shot a 21-year-old man in the shoulder near the intersection of Ashford Street and Arlington Avenue in Brooklyn. He was taken to Brookdale Hospital Medical Center in stable condition and is expected to survive, police said.
Seventeen minutes later, 86-year-old Hamoo Saeidi was found with a gunshot wound to the back in front of 108-19 Jamaica Avenue in the Richmond Hill section of Queens. Saeidi was taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center where he later died.
A short time later, in Queens, witnesses reported a man on a scooter shooting randomly at a group of people standing at the intersection of 108th Street and Jamaica Avenue, although no one was injured.
At 11:35 a.m. at Hillside Avenue and 126th Street, a 44-year-old man was shot in the face. He was taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in critical condition.
Just two minutes later, at Jamaica Avenue and 134th Street, a 63-year-old man was shot in the right shoulder. He was taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in stable condition.
Police later discovered there was a sixth shooting. At 11:36 p.m., a 40-year-old man was at the intersection of Jamaica Avenue and 131st Street when shots were fired in his direction. The suspect then fled the scene. The victim was not injured in the shooting.
“Armed with a picture of the suspect as officers fanned out across Queens,” NYPD Acting Police Commissioner Edward Caban said.
Caban called for a critical message, meaning a picture of the suspect was sent to every NYPD officer on the street. He helped officers from the 103rd and 113th Precincts recognize and arrest the suspect in Queens shortly after 1 p.m.
“The 9mm handgun had an extended magazine. Given the violence this individual was willing to carry out, I want to express my gratitude to the men and women of the NYPD,” Caban added.
Officers say Abreu only has one prior arrest for a traffic violation.
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