Four homeless men beaten to death as they slept in NYC's Chinatown

Four homeless men were killed and a fifth was badly injured when another homeless man, wielding a long metal pipe, attacked them during a rampage through New York City.

New York Police Department officers at the scene of the attack in Manhattan's Chinatown neighborhood. Source: FR171682 AP

A homeless man wielding a metal pipe beat four other homeless people to death on Saturday in New York, police said.

A fifth man was rushed to hospital in a critical condition.

Police detained a 24-year-old male as the suspect in the attack in the Chinatown area of Lower Manhattan in the small hours of Saturday.

New York Police Department officers at the scene of the attack in Manhattan's Chinatown neighborhood. Source: FR171682 AP

The victims were apparently asleep when they were set upon, said Michael Baldassano of the New York police department.

"The motive appears to be, right now, just random attacks," he told reporters. "No one was targeted by race, age, anything of that nature."

Police say four homeless men were beaten to death. Source: FR171682 AP

Every night more than 63,000 people sleep in the New York City shelter system, says the Bowery Mission, an advocacy group. But nearly 4,000 more sleep on the street, in the subway or in other public areas. 

The group says factors causing homelessness include mental illness, substance abuse, lack of affordable housing and problems keeping a job.