NEW YORK — Police say a man traveled from Baltimore to New York City with one thing in mind – to make a statement in the media capital of the world by killing black men.
James Harris Jackson, 28, took a Bolt Bus on Friday to Manhattan, police said Wednesday. He found his victim Monday night — Timothy Caughman, 66, who was rummaging through the garbage outside 462 Ninth Ave. when the suspect allegedly stabbed him.
Caughman, bleeding heavily from multiple stab wounds, managed to walk into the nearby Midtown South Precinct after the attack. He was rushed to the hospital where he later died.
Police released a video of Jackson to the media Tuesday night. After seeing his photo on the news, Jackson turned himself in, police said.
Jackson was carrying the wanted flier featuring his photo when he walked into the police station, according to the NYPD, and told officers: "I'm the person you're looking for."
Jackson told police he had several knives on him. One of the blades he was carrying, a 26-inch black sword, is believed to be the murder weapon, authorities said.
Police said his trip to New York City was racially motivated and he had been "harboring feelings for quite some time." Jackson, who previously served in the military, may have had these feelings for up to 10 years, police said, without elaborating.
He has been charged with murder in the second degree, a charge that could be upgraded if it is also classified as a hate crime.