As the investigation continues in the bloody triple homicide that took place near Columbia University's campus on Thursday, the police released surveillance video of a man suspected of the fatal shootings. A man, described as Hispanic, walks down a street in a white t-shirt and light-colored pants while holding a bag.
Manhattan residents Luis Catalan, 25, Heriberto Suazo, 26, and Amaury Rodriquez, 30 were found shot dead in a 2012 BMW 750LI parked on West 122nd Street and Claremont Avenue. A passer-by noticed the men and at first thought they were sleeping—but then saw the blood. The two men sitting in the front of the car were shot in the necks while the man in the backseat was shot in the temple; it's believed the shooter had been in the car, which was recently reported as stolen, at the time.
The victims have past arrests, related to drugs and/or gun possession, leading police to believe their killings are related to marijuana trafficking. A police source told the NY Post, "They’ve all been robbed by drug dealers, or on the other end, they’ve robbed drug dealers. They flip back and forth robbing each other. This time, it was the end for them." Other sources suggest that Catalan and Suazo may have been targeted because they were talking to the police.
As for the locale of the shootings, police spokesman Paul Browne said, "The shots were fired inside the car with the windows up and the doors closed. This is a block that has no commercial activity and no residential activity... It’s probably one of the least trafficked blocks, certainly in that part of Manhattan."
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto Crime Stoppers' website at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or by texting their tips to CRIMES (274637), then enter TIP577.
