A man wielding a stick killed two people in Miami in an 鈥渦nprovoked鈥� attack on four homeless people, law enforcement officials said. The suspect was taken into custody following the beatings, which police say were carried out early Thursday.
A 911 call placed just after 6 a.m. Thursday alerted officials to what they say was a 30-year-old man armed with a stick, beating people living on the streets of Miami.
Miami Police Chief Manny Morales told reporters Thursday that the suspect first beat one man near a downtown train station before heading down the street to batter another homeless man. He then attacked a homeless couple across the street, Morales said.
Officers responded 鈥渨ithin seconds鈥� of the dispatch call, Morales said, chasing down the suspect and taking him into custody after he tried to run away.
鈥淭his is a horrible incident," Morales said. 鈥淭he officers on the scene and the Miami Police Department is appalled at this display of unprovoked violence.鈥�
Officials have not yet released the suspect's name while they continue investigating, saying he has no local criminal history but has had some 鈥渕inor run-ins with police鈥� in New York.
___ Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Kate Payne, The Associated Press
