Police fear a serial killer is on the loose after a spate of "interconnected" shootings in California.
Police are investigating five fatal shootings which targetted people walking alone in the evening or early morning hours.
The victims are Jonathan Hernandez Rodriguez, 21, Paul Alexander Yaw, 35, Salvador William Debudey Jr, 43, Juan Cruz, 52 and Lorenzo Lopez, 52.
While the majority of the victims are Hispanic, the police do not believe there is any indication that these are hate crimes.
All victims were killed within a radius of a few square kilometres in the city of Stockton, between July 8 and September 27.
During a news conference, Stockton Police Chief Stanley McFadden said the killings have taken place in "dimly lit" areas "overshadowed by trees".
He also confirmed the attacks were not related to robberies or any gang activity in the area.
"It wasn’t a robbery, items aren't being stolen, they're not talking about any gang activity in the area or anything. It's just element of surprise," McFadden said.
Four of the victims were walking alone when they were shot and one was sitting in a car.
Officer Joseph Silva told AP News the police are looking for a serial killer.
"It definitely meets the definition of a serial killer," Silva said. "What makes this different is the shooter is just looking for an opportunity and unfortunately our victims were alone in a dark area."
Police announced an US$85,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the series of homicides. The reward has since been increased to US$95,000 (over NZ$166,000) due to an anonymous donation.
Authorities also released a photo of a "person of interest" dressed in black clothing who appeared in CCTV footage from several of the crime scenes.
