The Federal Bureau of Investigation has arrested a man in Missouri, who the agency said is a "suspected serial killer" responsible for the deaths of at least six people across the state and in Kansas. The man is also believed to have attacked two other people, who managed to survive the ordeal.
In a new release, the FBI said it had arrested 25-year-old Perez Reed as he was disembarking a train in Independence, Missouri. Arresting agents said Reed was in possession of a train ticket to St. Louise. He was also carrying a .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol when he was arrested.
The FBI said the caliber of the firearm in Reed's possession matched the shell casings found in several unsolved shootings in Kansas City and St. Louis County in September. The agency said six people were shot with the same .40-caliber pistol.
An affidavit in the criminal complaint filed in a Missouri federal court indicated that Reed was willing to be questioned by the FBI. The documents showed that Reed had denied any involvement in the shooting and claimed that he hadn't shot or hurt anyone.
The affidavit indicated that the victims were shot between September and October of this year. The FBI said Reed had been present in both shooting locations. The FBI added that Reed lived in St. Louis but had traveled to Kansas City several times, where two additional victims were shot and killed. The FBI said the way the two victims in Kansas were shot and killed were identical to how the victims in St. Louis were killed.
Perez Reed was found in possession of a handgun that matched shell casings found at the scenes of six separate shootings in Missouri, prosecutors said. https://t.co/NJNxPM8M12 — HuffPost (@HuffPost) November 9, 2021
The FBI said one of their strongest pieces of evidence of Reed's likely guilt is information provided to them by the security personnel at the last victim's apartment complex. The FBI said the security officers gave them a copy of Reed's driver's license, which he used to enter the building. The FBI was also provided CCTV footage, which showed a black man with a crescent tattoo on his forehead, similar to Reed's tattoo in his mug shot.
The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office has already charged Reed with two counts of murder, three counts of armed criminal action, and one count of first-degree assault. Reed is expected to be federally charged with the transportation of a firearm across state lines with the intent to commit a felony.
St. Louis and Kansas City officials are continuing their investigation into the killing. Reed is currently being held in federal detention.
