Police in Maryland warned New York authorities on Saturday to be on the lookout for a shooting suspect — but that message was received just minutes before that suspect gunned down two NYPD officers, officials said.
Baltimore County Police said Ismaaiyl Brinsley, 28, is suspected of shooting a woman in the stomach in their city earlier on Saturday. The force said it became aware of threatening social media posts believed to be from the suspect and which appeared to indicate the suspect had traveled to Brooklyn, prompting a phone call to New York police to discuss the suspect.
Baltimore County Police faxed a "wanted" poster about the suspect to New York City police at around 2:45 p.m. on Saturday — just before Brinsley allegedly walked up to officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos as they sat in their car and opened fire, shooting both in the head. Brinsley later killed himself.
"The tragedy here is just as the warning was coming in, the murder was occurring," Bratton told reporters. He said the woman shot in Baltimore was Brinsley’s ex-girlfriend.
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