Daughter of slain homeless man: Killer 'doesn't deserve' freedom

James Lewis was shot and killed while he was sleeping under a bridge in Vegas.

ByABC News
February 7, 2018, 5:10 PM

— -- Las Vegas authorities are searching for a gunman suspected of shooting four people, killing two of them, within several days in random shootings police say targeted the homeless.

The most recent victim, a homeless man named James Lewis, was shot and killed while he was sleeping under a bridge, according to police and the coroner's office. The Feb. 2 killing was caught on graphic surveillance video.

Lewis' daughter, Oneida Lewis Baker, told ABC News that she had been searching for her father, who had a love of boxing and the Denver Broncos.

PHOTO: An undated photo of James Lewis, left. Oneida Lewis Baker says her father was shot dead while sleeping under a bridge in Las Vegas, Feb. 2, 2018.
An undated photo of James Lewis, left. Oneida Lewis Baker says her father was shot dead while sleeping under a bridge in Las Vegas, Feb. 2, 2018.

She said she wonders why her father was homeless "when he has kids and grandkids, a mom and dad still alive, brothers and nieces and nephews and cousins. Why? We absolutely love you and adore you."

"As much as I did to try to find him and I didn't come up with anything, you still shouldn't have [taken] his life," she said. "He still should be here today regardless of if he's homeless or not."

PHOTO: An undated father of James Lewis, left. Oneida Lewis Baker says her father was shot dead while sleeping under a bridge in Las Vegas, Feb. 2 2018.
An undated father of James Lewis. Oneida Lewis Baker says her father was shot dead while sleeping under a bridge in Las Vegas, Feb. 2 2018.

Three of the four victims were homeless and three of the four were sleeping at the time they were shot, Capt. Robert Plummer of the Las Vegas Police said at a news conference Tuesday.

The same gun was used in all four shootings, Plummer said.

“We must stop this man before he shoots and kills someone else," Plummer said.

PHOTO: Las Vegas authorities are looking for a serial shooter in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas authorities are looking for a serial shooter in Las Vegas.
PHOTO: Las Vegas authorities are looking for a serial shooter in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas authorities are looking for a serial shooter in Las Vegas.

The first shooting was Jan. 29 in a gas station-grocery store parking lot, police said. That victim was not homeless but was alone and shot randomly, police said.

A few hours later, a second victim was shot in front of a shopping center.

That same day a homeless person was shot in the face, police said.

Lewis was the final victim. On Feb. 2 about 4:16 a.m., video shows a dark-colored SUV drive up and park near where Lewis was found, police said. A man walks up to Lewis and shoots him before running back to the SUV and driving away.

PHOTO: Las Vegas authorities are looking for a serial shooter in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas authorities are looking for a serial shooter in Las Vegas.

"He doesn't deserve to have freedom," Baker said of the suspect. "I am praying that he is caught. I am praying that he doesn't kill anybody else or even injure anybody else. I don't want anyone to go through what I am going through."

Baker said she wants to have her chance in court to ask her father's killer: "Why?"

PHOTO: An undated father of James Lewis, left. Oneida Lewis Baker says her father was shot dead while sleeping under a bridge in Las Vegas, Feb. 2 2018.
An undated father of James Lewis. Oneida Lewis Baker says her father was shot dead while sleeping under a bridge in Las Vegas, Feb. 2 2018.

The homeless are "sweet, loving. They're humans just like you and I," Baker said. "Their life is still precious. In fact, I think their life is more precious because they have to fight harder to survive on a day-to-day basis. The little things we take for granted, they don't."

To target the homeless, a "very vulnerable segment of our society, is cowardly,” Plummer said, according to the Las Vegas Sun.

The suspect was driving what appears to be a Hyundai Tucson SUV, police said.

Anyone with any information is asked to call the Las Vegas police at (702) 828-3521.