Jack gave a brief explanation: "Everyone here is in a rush. Most people won't pay too much attention to things unrelated to themselves. The 'bystander effect' is most prominently displayed in this city."
The so-called "bystander effect," also known as the "diffusion of responsibility effect," is a sociological and psychological phenomenon. It refers to a situation in which the presence of bystanders reduces the sense of individual responsibility in a group during an emergency.
In plain terms, when a victim appears, everyone watches, expecting someone else to step forward. As a result, no one takes action.
To break this effect, the best way is for someone to take the initiative, break the silence, and guide the bystanders to join in or assign responsibility to a specific individual.
For example, during Jack's police academy training, the instructor explicitly told him that in situations requiring help—like when an officer is down or someone is assisting a victim alone—the most effective action isn't to shout general pleas like, "Someone help!" Instead, you should point to someone and give specific instructions, like, "Hey, you in the glasses over there, call 911!"
"Looks like you've kept up with your studies even when I wasn't around," Rossi said with a smile, offering Jack a rare compliment.
"Have the ballistics reports from the recent cases been processed?" Emily asked Danny.
As usual, Danny stood with his hands on his hips. Hearing her question, he nodded. "I submitted them to the CSI lab for expedited analysis as soon as I took over. The results just came in before the media frenzy broke out. The firearms used in the four previous cases have been confirmed to be the same handgun, but the gun's serial number doesn't match anything in the database."
Suddenly, his gaze shifted to the subway entrance. An elderly man, accompanied by his younger brother James Reagan, was descending the stairs toward them. Recognizing the figure, Danny couldn't help but exclaim, "Grandpa, what are you doing here?"
"The news today brought back memories I thought I'd long forgotten," Henry Reagan replied with a smile. "I decided to visit the scene and unexpectedly ran into an old friend."
Henry cheerfully refused his grandson's attempt to help him down the stairs, still dressed in his patrol officer's uniform. Instead, he opened his arms and embraced Rossi.
"How many years has it been, David? Ten? Or seven?"
"Only five, you old geezer. You're looking good," Rossi replied warmly, clearly familiar with the former NYPD commissioner. The two men patted each other on the back with genuine affection.
"For some reason, I feel better these past two years. No more chest pain, and my legs are steady," Henry said, spinning in place with his arms spread wide to show off his "agile" physique.
"Whatever the case, it's good to see you again." There was a touch of nostalgia in Rossi's eyes, as if the sight of his old friend had stirred up memories of bygone days.
Strictly speaking, Henry was from a different generation than Rossi. To truly find peers for the former NYPD commissioner, Jack would probably have to invite someone like Detective Hunter or the old CIA agent Joe Mason.
However, it seemed unlikely the two men knew each other. If they had, Jack reasoned, Henry would have intervened during Joe Mason's earlier misfortunes, sparing Jack the need to act.
When Henry's gaze fell on the corpse covered by a white sheet on the ground, the smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by a deep sigh. "This scene feels awfully familiar, David."
"You're talking about 'Son of Sam,' aren't you?" Rossi clearly understood why Henry had come.
"Yes. Back then, I was just a regular detective. But this time, the situation seems even worse," Henry replied, glancing at a broken surveillance camera mounted on a pillar and muttering a curse under his breath. "Damn privacy laws. These things should be installed on every street corner in New York."
Since 9/11, New York City had steadily increased its street surveillance. However, in this fictional universe, the influence of a certain Eastern country waxed and waned, leading to the mysterious disappearance of some well-known surveillance system companies.
This was part of why Jack had thought he had ample time to deal with the events of Person of Interest. Without affordable and reliable surveillance equipment, New York City was left with low-quality cameras. Most offered only 600, 800, or even as little as 300,000 pixels in resolution. Even the advanced AI known as "The Machine" would be handicapped, effectively a myopic observer.
High-end Eagle Eye cameras were reserved for high-risk locations like Times Square, Wall Street, and the Empire State Building, where they stood watch from strategic heights.
"I'm not so sure about that," Jack said, holding up his phone. Garcia had already located footage from the crime scene and sent it to him.
"Look closely. Here's the suspect. He got off the train with the crowd," Jack said, pointing to the figure highlighted in the video: a man wearing a black hoodie.
Emily immediately understood. "This guy kept his head down as he got off, indicating he knows exactly where the cameras are."
"You're suggesting this guy, unlike 'Son of Sam,' acted with premeditation? That the attack location wasn't entirely random?" Henry raised an eyebrow.
"I can't say for sure, but he clearly scouted the area beforehand. He knows the position of every camera and chose an easily concealable handgun. All I can say is, this guy knows exactly what he's doing."
Jack had received the case files for the first four incidents just yesterday. Since they occurred in different precincts, they had been treated as unrelated shootings, with different detectives handling each case.
Some detectives were meticulous, with detailed witness statements and comprehensive evidence collected from the scenes. Others had been careless, leaving gaps that required further investigation. The most revealing pieces of evidence were the surveillance recordings from three of the incidents.
Jack had watched these recordings repeatedly. Each time, a shadowy figure in a hoodie would flash past the camera, followed by the victim collapsing. The locations varied: a subway entrance, a street corner, and a busy intersection.
One recording was so poor in quality that Jack had to slow it down frame by frame to catch the exact moment the shooter fired.
"Back when 'Son of Sam' was active, Rossi wasn't yet with the FBI. But I've read his notes from his prison interviews with David Berkowitz. Honestly, apart from the random attacks, I can't find any similarities between the two cases."
Hearing this, Henry's expression grew more serious. "That makes this worse. Berkowitz targeted couples on dates or young, attractive women. This time, it's indiscriminate.
"If anyone can become a target, the resulting panic will be unimaginable. I want everyone working on this case to give it their all. We can't let people endure another year of living in fear."
"You have my word, old friend," Rossi replied solemnly.
(End of Chapter)
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