NYC Serial Killer Being Hunted By The FBI

A serial killer in New York City who is allegedly targeting Middle Eastern men has police stumped.

Authorities are searching for a man they believe is the same killer behind the deaths of three shopkeepers, including Mohammed Gebeli, Vahidipour Rahmatollah and Isaac Kadare at their convenience stores, WebProNews reports. While police have found similar characteristics in all three crimes, they don't want to alarm the city by saying a serial killer is on the loose. The motive behind the killings, however, has investigators scratching their heads.

“The same gun was used in all three murders…it’s too soon to tell,” Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne said. “There are similar things in each case, but that determination hasn’t been made yet.”

Though each victim was covered up and moved away from the windows of their stores, there are some discrepancies: one victim was stabbed in the neck as well as shot in the head; two of the victims were robbed, while police say they are unsure if Rahmatollah was missing money from the cash register.

The most unlikely clue retrieved from each case has contained the number 8. “We’re definitely looking into the number-8 angle,” a law-enforcement source said. “But we’re not any closer to solving the case because of it.”