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Manhunt in Cleveland After Killing Broadcast on Facebook Live
by Alex Johnson, E.D. Cauchi and Tim Stelloh
Cleveland police were searching Sunday for a man who they said killed an elderly man live on Facebook and bragged about having committed many other homicides.
The suspect, identified as Steve Stephens, is considered armed and dangerous, police said after the homicide in northeast Cleveland near the Lake Erie shore. The FBI was providing assistance, a spokeswoman told NBC News.
Police said Sunday that the man "broadcast the killing on Facebook Live and has claimed to have committed multiple other homicides which are yet to be verified."
"There are no other victims that we know of," Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams said at a news conference.
Authorities said the killing of the one confirmed victim, Robert Goodwin, 74, appeared to be random.
"It's senseless," Williams said.
There had been no sighting of Stephens since the killing at 2 p.m., Williams said, and it wasn't clear whether he was still in Cleveland. Earlier, students at Cleveland State University, near downtown, were told to shelter in place or stay away from the school.
Williams said alerts had been sent out across the state, and Gov. John Kasich promised the Ohio State Highway Patrol's help.
A series of posts Sunday on what authorities said was Stephens' Facebook page complained that he had "lost everything" to gambling. The posts named specific people whom the user wanted to talk to, and at one point he wrote "I killed 12 people today" and wouldn't stop until he could speak to his mother and a second woman.
Later, the user posted: "I killed 15 today because of [the second woman]." The user called it his "Easter day slaughter."
NBC News archived the posts before the account was removed. "This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook," the company said.
Williams didn't address the details of the Facebook posts, but said: "If Steve has an issue, he needs to talk to folks to get that resolved."
"Steve, I know you have relationships with the clergy out here," Williams added. "I encourage you to call them and turn yourself in."
Stephens worked for Beech Brook, a children's mental health center. In a statement, a center spokesperson said: "We are shocked and horrified. We are just horrified for the victim and potential victims."
Stephens was described as black, 6 feet, 1 inch tall, weighing 244 pounds and bald with a full beard. He was last seen wearing a black or dark blue and gray striped polo shirt and was driving a white Ford Fusion with temporary tags, authorities said.
by Alex Johnson, E.D. Cauchi and Tim Stelloh
Cleveland police were searching Sunday for a man who they said killed an elderly man live on Facebook and bragged about having committed many other homicides.
The suspect, identified as Steve Stephens, is considered armed and dangerous, police said after the homicide in northeast Cleveland near the Lake Erie shore. The FBI was providing assistance, a spokeswoman told NBC News.
Police said Sunday that the man "broadcast the killing on Facebook Live and has claimed to have committed multiple other homicides which are yet to be verified."
"There are no other victims that we know of," Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams said at a news conference.
Authorities said the killing of the one confirmed victim, Robert Goodwin, 74, appeared to be random.
"It's senseless," Williams said.
There had been no sighting of Stephens since the killing at 2 p.m., Williams said, and it wasn't clear whether he was still in Cleveland. Earlier, students at Cleveland State University, near downtown, were told to shelter in place or stay away from the school.
Williams said alerts had been sent out across the state, and Gov. John Kasich promised the Ohio State Highway Patrol's help.
A series of posts Sunday on what authorities said was Stephens' Facebook page complained that he had "lost everything" to gambling. The posts named specific people whom the user wanted to talk to, and at one point he wrote "I killed 12 people today" and wouldn't stop until he could speak to his mother and a second woman.
Later, the user posted: "I killed 15 today because of [the second woman]." The user called it his "Easter day slaughter."
NBC News archived the posts before the account was removed. "This is a horrific crime and we do not allow this kind of content on Facebook," the company said.
Williams didn't address the details of the Facebook posts, but said: "If Steve has an issue, he needs to talk to folks to get that resolved."
"Steve, I know you have relationships with the clergy out here," Williams added. "I encourage you to call them and turn yourself in."
Stephens worked for Beech Brook, a children's mental health center. In a statement, a center spokesperson said: "We are shocked and horrified. We are just horrified for the victim and potential victims."
Stephens was described as black, 6 feet, 1 inch tall, weighing 244 pounds and bald with a full beard. He was last seen wearing a black or dark blue and gray striped polo shirt and was driving a white Ford Fusion with temporary tags, authorities said.
