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Two more shootings are linked to a series of recent homicides in Stockton, California, investigators have said.
Police already believed five homicides between July 8 and September 27 are related, they’d said, with a combined $95,000 reward available for information leading to the arrest of the killer or killers.
Now, two pre-dawn shootings from 2021 also have been tied to the recent string of homicides, Stockton police announced late Monday on Facebook:
— On April 10, 2021, a 40-year-old Hispanic man was shot to death in Oakland, California.
— On April 16, 2021, a 46-year-old Black woman was shot at Park and Union streets in Stockton; she survived.
CNN has reached out to Stockton police for more information on links among the 2021 and 2022 cases.
Police have posted an image on Facebook showing the back of a person dressed in all black and said they may be linked to the investigation.
“Please do not fall victim, be alert, have your head on a swivel, stay where it’s lit, communicate,” McFadden added. “We need you, we need your help, we need your tips, and we need you to help not to spread misinformation.”
Four of the victims in this year’s homicides were Hispanic men ranging from 21 to 54 years old, and the fifth victim was a 35-year-old White man, police have said.
None of the shooting victims has been publicly identified by police.
In the five related homicides this year, each victim was alone and shot either in the evening or early morning hours, police said.
It’s unclear if the victims were targeted and known to the suspect or selected at random, officials said.
The attacks were not related to robberies or gang activity in the area, Stockton police said Friday at a news conference.
“It wasn’t a robbery, items aren’t being stolen, they’re not talking about any gang activity in the area or anything. It’s just element of surprise,” Stockton Police Chief Stanley McFadden said.
The city of Stockton and Stockton Crime Stoppers are offering an $85,000 cash reward for information leading to an arrest, according to a Facebook post on Friday. The owner of a local construction company donated another $10,000 toward the reward for information.
The-CNN-Wire
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