Stockton police on Saturday arrested 43-year-old Wesley Brownlee, a suspect in the recent gunshot killings of at least five individuals in Stockton and the death of one person in Oakland last year.

“We are sure we stopped another killing,” Stockton Police Chief Stanley McFadden said after the arrest.

Also read: Stockton serial killings: Police arrest suspect Wesley Brownlee

California investigators and Chicago police worked together to determine whether the homicides might be related to two murders that took place in the Chicago neighbourhood of Rogers Park in 2018. Authorities asserted that videos of the accused showed a man in black with a distinctive walk.

The police have described the masked shooter as having a unique duck walk or limp in which he walks with both feet turned out to the side. He was visible on security tape. The suspect is known as The Duck Walk Killer.

Also read: Stockton serial killing suspect arrested: What the police said

Following the release of the suspect’s video surveillance footage last week, Stockton police asked the public to pay attention to the man’s gait. He had a jittery walk and walked with his hands in his pockets.

Chicago police said there didn’t seem to be any relationship on Friday.

Who is the Duck Walk Killer?

An unknown assailant known as “The Duck Walk Killer” killed at least two individuals in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighbourhood.

Also read: Stockton serial killing not linked to Rogers Park murders: Police

On the morning of Sunday, September 30, 2018, Douglass Watts, 73, was fatally shot in the head at close range while walking his dog. Eliyahu Moscowitz, 24, was shot in the head at close range while returning home on the evening of October 1, 2018.

Neither person had been the victim of a robbery, therefore investigators were unable to pin down a motive in either of the homicides.

Also read: Stockton serial killing victims: All you need to know

The same weapon was used in the two deaths, which took place on consecutive days only a little more than half a mile apart, according to forensic ballistic tests. The serene neighbourhood of Rogers Park sprang into a panic at this knowledge. The suspect who is thought to be responsible for the offences was caught on security camera by the police.

The suspect has a “distinctive toes pointed out” gait, according to the police, who advised locals to keep a lookout for anyone who exhibits this gait. Because of this, media outlets gave the suspect the moniker “Duck Walk Killer.” The Duck Walk Killer has been spotted wearing an all-black outfit and a ski mask. A picture of the suspect has been released by the police and other sources.

Also read: Stockton killings: 5 active serial killers in the United States

The Duck Walk Killer has not yet been found and is still at large. No motive, according to the authorities, has been proven. Two more shootings on Chicago’s West Side were committed with the same weapon that was used in the two previously shooting incidents. Police have not yet confirmed whether the same perpetrator was involved in the subsequent shootings.

A $23,000 reward was immediately raised by the community for information that resulted in the capture and conviction of the Duck Walk Killer. The reward was raised to $150,000 after several weeks passed without an arrest. This is the most reward ever collected by a community in Chicago for the conviction of a single killer.