Scooter-riding gunman shoots 4, killing 1, NYPD says

A gunman on a scooter in Queens and Brooklyn indiscriminately shot four people Saturday morning — including an 87-year-old who died, the NYPD said in announcing a suspect’s arrest. 

The 25-year-old suspect was arrested in Jamaica, Queens, less than two hours after the shootings, by cops who spotted him based on photos, according to Joseph Kenny, an assistant chief with the NYPD’s detective bureau.

Neither the suspect’s nor the victims' names were disclosed, and the motive was unclear, Kenny said.

“At this time, we don’t know the motive. It seems that his acts were random,” Kenny said. “If you look at the demographics, the pedigree, of the victims, they’re all different. At this time, video shows that he’s not targeting anybody, he’s not following anybody. As he’s driving on his scooter, he’s randomly shooting people.”

A 9 mm semi-automatic pistol was used in the attacks and it was found in the scooter, Kenny said.

One of the shootings was in Brooklyn; the others were in Queens.

The shootings all happened within less than 30 minutes, police said.

The first was of a 21-year-old man in the left shoulder at about 11:10 a.m. on the northwest corner of Ashford Street and Arlington Avenue in Brooklyn. He was likely to live, Kenny said. Video showed a shooter approach from behind, raise his hand and fire once, Kenny said.

About 17 minutes later, on Jamaica Avenue, the 87-year-old man was shot once in the back; he died at the hospital, police said. The 911 calls reported a man firing at a nail salon.

In a nearby incident, the suspect randomly shot at a group of people standing on the corner of 108th Street and Jamaica Avenue, police said. No one was hit.

Eight minutes later, at about 11:35 a.m., a 44-year-old man was shot once in the cheek at Hillside Avenue and 126th Street, police said. He was hospitalized in critical condition.

About one minute later, a 63-year-old was shot once in the right shoulder, at 134th Street and Jamaica Avenue, police said. He was in stable condition.

The suspect was spotted and arrested by patrol officers at Sutphin Boulevard and 94th Avenue near the Long Island Rail Road and AirTrain stations in Jamaica, at 1:10 p.m., based on photos that were distributed departmentwide. In addition to the gun, a magazine and more rounds were found, police said.

By Matthew Chayes

matthew.chayes@newsday.comchayesmatthew

Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.