Suspect in shootings of five homeless men in DC and NYC played music on phone after killing, prosecutors say

Gerald Brevard III is being held without bail on first-degree murder charges

A photo of the suspect released by the NYPD (New York Police Department)

A man suspected of shooting at least five homeless men across Washington DC and New York City played music from his cellphone in the moments after one fatal attack, police say.

Gerald Brevard III, 30, was arrested on Tuesday in the nation’s capital following a massive manhunt across both cities. Prosecutors said Mr Brevard was identified after a longtime friend recognised him from police-issued surveillance photos and contacted investigators.

Mr Brevard is accused of stalking and shooting five homeless men - two fatally - as they slept on the streets of New York City and Washington over a 10-day period this month.

Police linked the cases through ballistics evidence, telephone records and Mr Brevard’s social media posts, prosecutors said at his arraignment on Wednesday.

The suspect was ordered held without bail on a first-degree murder charge in connection with the death of 54-year-old Morgan Holmes, who was found shot and stabbed inside a burning tent in Washington.

Mr Brevard, who is said to have an extensive rap sheet and history of mental illness, has not been formally charged in the other shootings, the earliest of which occurred around 4am on 3 March when a man was wounded in Washington’s Northeast section.

The second known shooting took just before 1.30am on 8 March, when surveillance video captured a man yelling “no, no, no” and “please don’t shoot” after a gunshot was fired, wounding him, according to court documents.

Minutes later, video allegedly showed the suspect sitting on a curb about a block away and playing music from his phone.

Magistrate Judge Tanya Jones Bosier cited that detail among multiple reasons to deny Mr Brevard bail, saying he is alleged to have played the music “as if there was some kind of amusement” after the shooting.

Roughly 24 hours after the second shooting, Holmes was found dead inside a burning tent. He was initially thought to have suffered fatal burns, but an autopsy revealed he had died of multiple stab and gunshot wounds.

Prosecutors said the suspect was caught on surveillance video pouring gasoline into a cup at a gas station nearby about 30 minutes before Holmes was discovered.

All three shootings took place within two miles of each other, with the first and third only half-a-mile apart.

“This is a disturbing escalation of violent behavior, particularly against individuals who are already vulnerable because they live on the street,” assistant US attorney Sarah Santiago said at Wednesday’s hearing, calling the shootings “unprovoked”.

Three hours after Holmes’ body was found on 9 March, Mr Brevard allegedly boarded a train at Washington’s Union Station and made his way to New York City, where he was seen on surveillance footage at Penn Station in Manhattan on 12 March.

The fourth attack took place at about 4.30am that day, when a 38-year-old man sleeping on the street by the Holland Tunnel was shot in the arm.

The gunman fled the scene and went on to fatally shoot another man in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood 90 minutes later, police say. The unidentified victim was found dead of gunshot wounds to the head and neck inside his sleeping bag, according to the New York City medical examiner’s office.

The NYPD released surveillance footage of the Manhattan attacks on Sunday and shared investigators’ belief that the two shootings were linked to the three others in Washington.

Authorities warned homeless individuals to seek shelter from the suspected serial killer.

Mayors Muriel Bowser of Washington and Eric Adams of New York City gave a joint briefing on Monday in which they urged witnesses to come forward as a $70,000 reward was offered for information leading to the suspect’s capture.

Hours after that briefing, police identified and arrested Mr Brevard in Washington after a tipster who knew him called and provided his name, telephone number and Instagram profile, according to court documents.

Mr Brevard also posted photos on Instagram showing him wearing a black quilted jacket, similar to what was worn by the suspect in two of the shootings, prosecutors said.

Phone records allegedly confirmed Mr Brevard had been in Washington and New York City when the shootings occurred.

Mr Brevard’s lawyer, Ron Resetarits, argued in court that his client should be released because of conflicting statements about the suspect’s description given by witnesses in New York and Washington. He also pointed to the fact that police have not recovered a gun in the case.

His client, he said, has lived in the Washington area for more than 20 years and had worked at a variety of businesses, including a wine store, a nightclub, a bagel shop and restaurants.

But prosecutors alleged Brevard had a lengthy criminal history in Washington, Virginia and Maryland on charges that included assaulting a police officer and assault with a deadly weapon. He also had a bench warrant and failed to appear for a trial in Maryland in 2021, prosecutors said.

In one prior case in 2019, Mr Brevard was deemed mentally incompetent after a court-ordered evaluation and was placed in a psychiatric hospital, the New York Times reported.

Mr Brevard’s father, Gerald Brevard Jr, told the Daily Beast he was “crushed” by the news of his son’s arrest.

“This has all come as a surprise. I never thought he would be violent,” he said on Tuesday. “He was always mild-mannered.”

The 80-year-old said the pair had spoken on Monday and Mr Brevard “did not say anything out of the ordinary”.

“It was a normal conversation. But he was dealing with mental illness for the longest time. He has been in and out of mental hospitals.”

Mr Brevard’s cousin, Dearell Charlie Brevard, also told Daily Beast he was “totally shocked” by the allegations.

“I was not aware of his arrest. I last saw him three months ago at a relative’s house. I am just in awe. I would never expect this at all from Gerald,” the cousin said, noting that he wasn’t particularly close with Mr Brevard but did see him recently.

“I need to call his dad! Find out what’s going on. I can’t believe this,” he added.

Over the course of the manhunt for Mr Brevard, New York Mayor Adam’s response to the violent incidents quickly became a matter of controversy.

Homelessness charities spoke out against Mr Adams for adding pressure on homeless people to leave the streets having already begun rolling out a “zero tolerance” policy towards rough sleepers, including a ban on lying across seats on subway trains.

The Coalition for the Homeless said the recent shootings were “an urgent reminder that many unsheltered New Yorkers choose to bed down in the subways because that is where they feel the most safe in the absence of housing and low-barrier shelters”.

Associated Press contributed to this report