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Updated at 11:35 p.m. ET: Authorities are searching for a possible serial killer who has gunned down three Brooklyn business owners since the summer -- police believe the victims could have been targeted because they were Middle Eastern.
Detectives who specialize in hate crimes and FBI analysts who specialize in behavioral analysis have joined the case, authorities said.
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said Monday that police are trying to identify a tall, balding man with a mustache who was seen on surveillance video carrying a black duffel bag near the scene of the latest shooting. NBC 4 New York has learned the same man was also seen on video near the second shooting in August.
Authorities say two other possible witnesses seen on video have been questioned and released.
The latest victim, 78-year-old Rahmatollah Vahidipour, a Jewish man from Iran, was killed Friday in his women's clothing boutique on Flatbush Avenue.
"The possibility of a bias motive here is something that can't be excluded," Kelly said.
After the latest killing, detectives discovered the same gun was used in the fatal shootings of two other shopkeepers when ballistics matched the .22-caliber gun shell casings on all three.
On July 6, Mohamed Gebeli, 65, an Egyptian immigrant and a Muslim, was found shot in the back of his shop, Valentino Fashion Inc. On Aug. 6, Isaac Kadare, 59, also Egyptian but Jewish, was shot in the head in his store, Amazing 99 Cent Deal.
There were other similarities, authorities said: The bodies were all partially obscured by clothing or, in one case, a box. The shops all lacked surveillance cameras, and the owners were alone in the store. The locations of the shops are each about four miles apart, with addresses that contain the number eight. Money was taken from everyone but Vahidipour, who had $171 in his pocket.
"We're trying to put it together. We're talking to the FBI; we're doing an all-out effort to solve these murders," Kelly said.
Kelly said it's reasonable to think the shooter had canvassed the area to find locations where no cameras existed.
"Here you have three stores where the proprietor is there by himself, no cameras in any of these," he said. "You'd have to speculate that some sort of reconnaissance was going on before the murders took place."
Kelly said they would like the tall man to come forward and identify himself. The commissioner said no one has been named a suspect and no arrests had been made.
The killings chilled local shopkeepers.
"Pretty nerve-wracking that a serial killer is on the loose in Brooklyn. You know it's the third one with the same gun," said Howard Prince, the manager of a business near the She She Boutique. Prince said police were stressing that no one should work alone.
"I mean that's not the part that concerns me," Prince said. "The part that concerns me is you take somebody's life that's 78 years old for no reason."
Kelly said city shop owners should be alert and aware of their surroundings and should call police or 911 at the sign of trouble.
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If the shop owners moved back to their country of origin I bet the killings would stop. Just a hunch.
I think New York is like Chicago, where it's illegal to own a handgun. These politicians take away a citizen's right to defend himself, and this is the result.
How would owning a handgun help people defend themselves against a sudden, point-blank attack?
Bio ...... One way is that bystanders would be able to also protect fellow citizens from that attack. The first shot may get off but the criminal would never make a second. How many drive by shootings do you think would happen if the entire street returned fire? One of the responsibilities of the right to bear arms is that right requires the individual to protect fellow citizens as well as personal safety. As with all rights there is good bad and gray arguments for and against, with rights there is responsibilites attached that is not taken into account today.
bioparahti
Since the guy used a .22. The people could have reurned fire after being shot several times. Possibly the first of the bunch could have put an end to this guy's killings. That isn't to say the first wouldn't have died from his injuries, but could have at least returned fire & gone down with a fight.
Keep fighting the good fight, whoever the f*** you are.
Probably an Iraq vet who developed a bloodlust for killing unarmed people while over there.
Whoever heard of an unarmed tribal a-rab (used in the generic sense of any of the various tribes of the region) in their native habitat? .... never happen.
Maybe just a junkie with a $200 dollar a day habit. Gotta feed that beast!
Shop owners near the latest target now say they fear for their safety.
"It's a very scary thing. I'm middle Eastern, the whole block is," said business owner David Elmann. "We're more on edge today."
Would you say the middle eastern shop owners feel terrorized? If that isn't a strange turn of events having the shoe on the other foot. It's only one guy with a .22 pistol! What's the big deal, it's not like someone with a suicide vest, underwear bomber, shoe bomber, or building IED's.......
Christopher Moses
it only blacks who call white racist if a black man does something that you call racist it not really you know that your from the south.
I agree, the shop owners need to get surveillance cameras or fake ones if the killer has been targeting shops without them it might at the very least thwart his plans on killing that particular person. It may not keep him from killing again since I think any serial killer isn't in his right might but they can do whatever they can to try and protect themselves in some form and maybe catch this guy on camera.
Wow, what a revelation! You Thmik???
So I guess this killer goes by,if you white you right if you black you bad if you tan call the digging man.
Sema
you sound like your a racist to me but if you black I guess they say you not cause black can say anything and get away with.
addball ... you do realise that one of your posts have made any sense whatsoever right?
Looks like Jay-Z to me....lol
HMMM - Maybe these Middle Eastern heathens understand how we feel about terrorists, now ?
You know , 9/11 and other acts of "workplace violence" ?
When the shoe is on the other foot, they're all outraged, now !
Where were these same heathens when 9/11 came around ?
Celebrating , no doubt
Questions to ask:
1) White men are most likely serial Killers so why a black now?
2) Why Middle Eastern men only?
3) Is this an act against Islam?
4) Could this guy be a Black American that is just fed up with the Pro Islam stance of Obama and all non-Americans that voted for him ( non Americans are ALL of the US citezens that voted for BO).
A possible senario is that this is an American that is just feed up with the whole Pro Communist & Pro Islam movement in America and he is taking action against it.
Well, there you go again! Mitt we know you wrote this!
Well there you go again DOC......showing off your stupidity.
Catch him (before he kills again), convict him, put him to death. Message sent.
Christopher Moses, who are you trying to protect here, Whites or Blacks ? It doesn,t matter which, this was a stupied act towards anyone.
Two advices for this serial murderer......."REPENT" of your sins......and "SURRENDER QUICKLY" to the F.B.I......or your ending will be worse than Sodom and Gomorrah...........
GOD...is:>>>>>OMNIPRESENT>>>>>OMNISCIENT>>>>>OMNIPOTENT.......
.............................................................REVELATION 21 v 8................................................................
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Ah, gone off your meds I see.
Well then Bush and Cheney are in some deep S**T, ain't they???
Bu Dear Leader lying , watching the ambassador die is he going to heaven , moron?
Barry, Barry quite contrary~how does your Marijuana garden grow? With shotgun shells and little HO's all in a ROW!
God Bless America: Bless you!
This has to do with race only in the fact that it's hard to find a non-Middle Eastern shopkeeper in Brooklyn, I know, I was there not two months ago, and most of the shopkeepers were of Middle Eastern descent. Who knows what the hell this is, could be an armed robber trying to throw the cops off the scent by making himself look like a serial killer, could be some kind of protection racket and these are the hard headed f*cks who didn't pay up, or it could in fact be a serial killer. The fact that a .22 was used and the shots were all head, or attempted head shots, well, this smells like a professional hitter and not some moonbat who jerks off to snuff films or whatever to me.
Doesn't this serial killer know that Bloomberg doesn't allow handguns in his city?
I don't live in NYC so I am not afraid.
Wow a year in the Tombs for carrying in NY is Tough anyway! Proves the laws are no deterrent to shootings and mayhem in the streets as Amerika becomes the Armageddon of the WORLD
If only the state-run media would worry about our nation's ambassadors and brave security men like they do shopkeepers in New York.
They only worry about shopkeepers if they are MUSLIM shopkeepers.
I guess no white shopkeeper was ever SHOT by a darkie before ?
Well, AKA, I've read a couple of your comments on this page and I can now say with authority that you're a serial dipsh!t.
And that WILL stand up in court.
They'll never find him...
Sure, there they go, blaming it on the black guys again.
No it was Bush's fault, right Obama ?
Yah guessed 'er Chester!