Los Angeles Officials Search for Killer Said to Be ‘Preying on the Unhoused’

The Los Angeles police are searching for a man they believe shot three homeless people dead this week, and officials on Friday urged anyone sleeping on the streets of Southern California to find shelter until the killer is found.

The three victims — all men who were in alleys or open areas by themselves — were shot and killed in the early morning hours, said Chief Michel Moore of the Los Angeles Police Department. The killings took place in different locations on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday.

“This is a killer who is preying on the unhoused,” Mayor Karen Bass said at a news conference on Friday afternoon. “Many friends and family members know how to reach their unhoused relatives. We need you to contact them today. We need you to tell them about this danger.”

Chief Moore said that investigators had discovered similarities among the three killings, based on physical evidence and camera footage, that led them to believe the events were connected. Federal and county investigators are also working on the case and trying to determine whether there have been more victims.

The authorities asked the public to help them to identify a dark-colored sedan and a person appearing in a surveillance image, whom they described only as a male.

Mr. Moore told reporters that he was particularly concerned about homeless people who might be isolated away from larger encampments, which often function as small communities.

At the news conference, the mayor said that emergency shelters that typically open during severe weather events would be made available for homeless residents. Outreach workers were fanning out on Friday to raise the alarm, in areas including public transit.

The killings highlighted the profound vulnerability of Los Angeles’s homeless residents, who endure harsh conditions on the streets, night after night, in one of the nation’s most intractable humanitarian crises. The last count, released in June, found that 46,260 people were homeless in the city of Los Angeles.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.