After weeks of speculation and fear surrounding the recent shootings that left three homeless people dead in Baton Rouge, police announced Thursday a man living less than two blocks from where the bodies were found has confessed to the crimes.

The city's homeless community can rest easier now, but significant questions remain as the motive for the killings hasn't been determined. It's also unknown whether the shootings were random or specifically targeting the homeless — some of Baton Rouge's most vulnerable residents.

Jeremy Anderson, 29, of the 100 block of South 17th Street, was arrested Wednesday night without incident, Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul said during a morning news conference. Anderson is facing two counts of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder.

Police said they weren't sure whether Anderson knew the victims and declined to speculate on a motive. Officers also didn't disclose exactly what led them to Anderson in the first place, but court records indicate that a witness came forward after the third killing and told police that Anderson had confessed to the shooting.

The three victims were killed in an area where many of Baton Rouge's homeless residents congregate because of its proximity to several shelters and other service providers, close to Anderson's house on South 17th Street.

The first two shootings occurred on Dec. 13 when Christina Fowler, 53, and Gregory Corcoran, 40, were found dead beneath the North Boulevard overpass, huddled in blankets beside an empty shopping cart — less than a block from Anderson's home. Then Tony Williams, 50, was found dead Friday morning on the front porch of a vacant home in the 100 block of 18th Street near Convention Street.

Police said the killings were similar enough to prompt a warning that homeless residents take extra precautions and avoid sleeping outside whenever possible. Authorities also threw additional investigative resources at solving the crimes, creating a task force involving several local and state law enforcement agencies.

+6 Killing of homeless man Friday may be connected to recent double-slaying of homeless pair, police say An apparently homeless man was found dead on the porch of a vacant house Friday morning, and Baton Rouge Police say his death may be connected…

It appears the three victims were shot at close range while sleeping, though authorities have declined to confirm that detail. All three died from gunshot wounds to the head.

Arrest reports indicate detectives linked Anderson to the final homicide first, then gathered additional evidence linking him to the previous two as well. Police began investigating Anderson after a witness came forward and said Anderson had confessed to killing Williams.

The witness also said Anderson had a 9 millimeter handgun with "ammunition that was consistent with the ballistic evidence collected" at the scene, according to the probable cause report. Video surveillance from nearby businesses showed a man walk up to the home on Convention Street before running from the scene a short time later, police noted in the arrest report.

Paul said detectives had executed a search warrant at Anderson's home and seized evidence linking him to the crimes, but he didn't disclose what that evidence was.

Then officers brought Anderson in for questioning, where he "made incriminating statements that placed him at the crime scene," Paul said. A second arrest report indicates Anderson confessed to killing Fowler and Corcoran during a statement to detectives. He was arrested Wednesday night and booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison Thursday morning.

Anderson has a scant criminal history in East Baton Rouge limited to relatively minor offenses several years ago, court records show. He's been convicted of two misdemeanors: illegal carrying of weapons in 2013 after officers found him with a stolen gun, and simple battery the following year after his arrest on domestic abuse counts. Paul alluded to that history, saying the suspect had prior arrests, but didn't elaborate.

In Thursday's press conference, city leaders praised the investigative efforts of BRPD detectives and other law enforcement, as well as thank the community for contributing to the case.

"We cannot solve crime without the community's help," Paul said. "We can stop the next crime from happening."

Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome also highlighted the plight of the homeless population in the parish.

"The case is particularly tragic because the victims were part of a community which is often overlooked and vulnerable," Broome said. "It is our duty to protect our homeless, and I want to emphasize our commitment to continue to work with community partners to transition homeless individuals into shelter and permanent housing."

Broome said that her office and BRPD are focusing on solutions to curb violence in the city, including reassigning special police units, continuing to use data and technology to fight crime and rolling out another police academy. She added that long-term solutions, such as addressing concentrated poverty and bringing greater access to healthcare, are crucial goals to ensure prosperity for all citizens in the parish.

The latest killings have prompted homeless service providers in the area to expand their capacity and alert people living on the streets about the dangers of sleeping outside — a situation Michael Acaldo with the nonprofit St. Vincent de Paul said remains a problem, even with the recent murders solved. He also said the robust response from local law enforcement was heartening for those who run shelters and work with the homeless population every day.

"It just showed a commitment to life — to all lives in our community — and it enabled homeless providers like St. Vincent de Paul the opportunity to communicate to those we are so blessed to serve," he said. "We were able to get the word out. We were able to shelter and house people who would otherwise have been outside."

Acaldo reiterated the aim of all shelters, which is to provide a road to permanent housing for those facing the challenges of homelessness.

Last January, volunteers counted more than 350 homeless people across the Baton Rouge area after fanning out across the city to check places like libraries and encampments where the homeless often congregate. Though it's a rough estimate that is sent to the Louisiana Housing Corporation, it gives an insight into homeless rates and factors compounding their struggles.

Volunteers noted that 76 people they counted last January had a mental illness, 82 suffered from substance abuse and 57 had a physical disability.