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U.S. starts nationwide manhunt for Cleveland Facebook killer

Xinhua, April 18, 2017 Adjust font size:

The U.S. authorities said Monday a national search is undergoing for an armed killer who allegedly shot a 74-year-old man dead in Cleveland, Ohio, and uploaded the bloody video to Facebook.

The suspect, identified as Steve Stephens, is thought to have committed multiple homicides and hasn't been seen since the Sunday afternoon shooting in Cleveland, said the authorities, offering a reward of up to 50,000 dollars for clues leading to his arrest.

In the video, which was removed from Facebook three hours after the killer uploaded on Sunday, the elder man, named Robert Godwin Sr., can be seen raising his hands in an apparent attempt to ward off his attacker before he is shot once in the head, the local media said.

Facebook then issued a statement calling the incident a "horrific crime", saying that the company does "not allow this kind of content on Facebook."

So far it remains unclear the motive for the shooting, and no other victims have been found, police said, adding that Stephens doesn't have a criminal record.

"This is what we would consider a national search for Steve," Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams said at a news conference Monday afternoon, "So we are not going to leave any stone upturned."

"We've interviewed several people involved, and I don't think there is any rhyme or reason for this happening," he said.

"At this point, he could be a lot of places," said Stephen Anthony, special agent in charge of the FBI's Cleveland division.

In the video he uploaded to Facebook, Stephens mentions his girl friend Joe Lane just before the shooting, saying to the victim, "She's the reason why all this about to happen to you."

Lane, who dated Stephens for several years, said in a statement that Stephens is "a nice guy ... He was kind and loving to me and my children. This is a very difficult time for me and my family."

The suspect is a member of the assertive community treatment team at Beech Brook, a mental health organization in northeast Ohio, according to an ABC News report.

Beech Brook on Monday closed its offices over concerns for the safety of its employees, clients and visitors, said the report. Endit