“This isn’t ‘Blue Bloods.’ We’re not going to solve this in 60 minutes. We’re painstaking going through every bit of evidence that we can come across. Eventually, when an apprehension is made, we will have to present all of these facts to a judge and jury, so we’re taking our time, doing it right and making sure we’re going to get justice for this victim and closure for his family.”
—NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny stated that the words “delay,” “deny,” and “depose” were written on three bullets, one word per bullet. However, a law enforcement official, speaking anonymously, previously told The Associated Press that the words were “deny,” “defend,” and “depose.” These phrases resemble “delay, deny, defend,” a term often used by critics and lawyers to describe insurers’ practices of delaying payments, denying claims, and defending their actions.
Kenny revealed that the suspect arrived at the HI New York City hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side on November 24, shortly after getting to the city. During his stay, the man kept to himself, avoided speaking with other guests, and remained masked while eating, only lowering the mask briefly to take bites. He paid in cash and provided identification believed to be fake.
The photo of the suspect smiling, widely circulated by the police, was taken at the hostel on the day he checked in.
Kenny reported that police have not yet identified the shooter and are awaiting the results of DNA evidence.
While the motive remains unclear, police believe the shooting was a targeted attack, based on evidence such as the words written on the bullets. Kenny suggested that the shooter might be a disgruntled employee or client of the victim.