Brooklyn Resident Faces Murder and Attempted Murder Charges for Series of Shootings in New York City

Thomas Abreu, a 25-year-old Brooklyn man, stands accused of a string of shootings in New York City while operating a scooter. The incidents, which included one fatality and three injured individuals, have led to charges of murder and attempted murder, according to the police statement on Sunday.

Police reported a total of six seemingly random shootings that took place in the Brooklyn and Queens neighborhoods on Saturday.

The NYPD has yet to determine the motivations behind the alleged attacks by Abreu, whose identity was confirmed on Sunday.

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Abreu was apprehended on Saturday without resistance. The NYPD disseminated a screenshot of the assailant from a video to its officers, which led to his capture a few hours post the initial shooting.

Upon arrest, the police seized a scooter and a 9 mm handgun fitted with an extended magazine. Abreu was slapped with charges that included murder, two instances of attempted murder, and six counts of criminal weapon possession.

The shooting spree initiated at approximately 11:10 a.m. with a 21-year-old man being shot in the shoulder in Brooklyn. The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital and was expected to survive, according to police reports.

Shortly thereafter, it is alleged that Abreu shot 86-year-old Hamoo Saeidi of Queens in the Richmond Hill district. Saeidi later succumbed to his injuries in hospital.

Witnesses in Queens reported seeing a scooter-riding man firing indiscriminately into a crowd, although no injuries were reported. Subsequent incidents saw a 44-year-old man shot in the face, landing him in critical condition at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, and a 63-year-old man shot in the torso, who is currently stable in hospital.

On Sunday, the police disclosed a sixth related shooting incident in Queens, where a 40-year-old man was targeted but escaped unscathed.

Despite experiencing a rise in killings over recent years, New York City’s homicide rate remains lower than the highs of the early 1990s. The city has faced a persistent surge in gun-related injuries throughout the pandemic and has dealt with a series of notable crimes.

Mayor Eric Adams, a former captain in the NYPD, has been vocal about his mission to remove more guns from the streets.

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