New York City man faces murder, attempted murder charges in scooter shooting spree

A Brooklyn man accused of killing an 86-year-old and injuring three others in a series of shootings while riding a scooter in New York City appeared before a judge by video Monday to formally faces charges of murder, attempted murder, and criminal possession of a weapon, prosecutors said.

Thomas Abreu, 25, was arraigned in a hospital Monday for the six shootings that occurred over several city blocks in Brooklyn and Queens on Saturday, according to a spokesperson for Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. Five shootings took place in Queens where three people were shot and an additional victim was shot in Brooklyn.

"The streets of two boroughs were turned into scenes of terror as this defendant allegedly rode his scooter, shooting indiscriminately at pedestrians and others," Katz said in a statement.

Abreu did not enter a plea and he was being held without bail in the hospital, WABC-TV reported. Abreu was arrested without incident later Saturday based on witness statements and surveillance footage, prosecutors said.

Abreu was charged with murder, two counts of attempted murder, and six counts of criminal possession of a weapon, according to the New York City Police Department. The suspect had one prior arrest, Joseph Kenny, assistant chief of the Detective Bureau, said.

Police have said a motive for the attack was not yet known but the incident appeared to be a random act and the suspected gunman did not specifically target anyone.

"It seems that his acts were random," Kenny said Saturday. "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."

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Timeline of shooting spree

In over 30 minutes, Abreu drove a scooter through Queens and Brooklyn firing at random, New York Police Department officials said at a news conference Saturday.

The shootings began around 11:10 a.m. when the gunman shot a 21-year-old man in the shoulder in Brooklyn. Police saw video footage of the suspect approaching the man from behind, according to Kenny.

The victim was transported to a hospital and was expected to survive.

About 17 minutes later, Abreu allegedly shot Hamod Saeidi, 86, of Queens, in the Richmond Hill area of Queens. Family members said Saeidi was on his way to the mosque to pray. He later died at a hospital.

Shortly after, witnesses reported a man on a scooter firing randomly into a group of people in Queens but nobody was injured.

Around eight minutes later, a 44-year-old man was shot in the face. He was taken to a hospital and remained in intensive care, according to a criminal complaint. And soon after, a 63-year-old man was shot in the torso. He was in stable condition at a hospital.

Police reported Sunday that there was a sixth related shooting at an intersection in Queens. A 40-year-old man who was shot was uninjured.

Prosecutors said Monday that Abreu also shot at two other people in Queens but did not hit them.

Officers recovered 9mm shell casings at all the scenes, police said. Police were able to spot the gunman a couple of hours after the first shooting and arrested him at about 1:10 p.m.

A 9mm semi-automatic pistol with an extended magazine and additional rounds on him were confiscated from the suspect. The illegal scooter, which did not have a license plate, was also confiscated.

Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY; Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New York scooter shooting spree: Brooklyn man faces murder charge