Bronx Store Owner Shot In Chest, Gunman At Large
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A business owner in the Bronx was shot in his store late Wednesday night and the NYPD is still looking for the gunman.
Police were actively processing the scene on Thursday, trying to figure out who pulled the trigger. Investigators told CBS2's Nick Caloway the gunman walked into the Healthy Juice Bar in the Allerton section of the borough and shot the man in the chest.
Neighbors said 30-year-old Abdu Salman opened the business near White Plains Road and Adee Avenue a few months ago and he's become a well-known fixture in the community.
"He's a very family man, very nice here in the neighborhood. A lot of people know him," John Berrios said.
"He's the guy from the store, everybody knows him. The sandwich maker, my coffee, jokes every morning. He messes with my daughter. He teases her. He's a good guy," a neighbor named "Josie" added.
So, local residents were crushed to wake up Thursday to the news that Salman had been shot in his own shop.
"It's sad. It's pathetic and sad. But it's reality. This is what it is. But, no, I don't feel that he deserved anything that happened to him, no," Josie said.
"He'll go out of his way, give you money out of his own pocket if he had to. He was very generous," friend Angelo Rodriguez added. "A hardworking man opens up a shop and somebody gets to come and shoot him. Take something that ... is that even worth it? It's very sad."
Police said the gunman entered the juice bar at around 10:30 p.m., and shot Salman. Investigators said the motive is not clear, but added that shortly after the shooting a 37-year-old bystander went in and confronted the gunman, taking away his weapon, Caloway reported.
The shooter ran away before police arrived at the scene.
Salman was rushed to Jacobi Hospital in critical condition. Neighbors were left wondering why someone would shoot the father of two.
"He shouldn't have to worry about somebody coming in there and trying to rob him, whatever the case might have been," Berrios said.
"Shocking, because like I said I've never heard him argue with nobody. Nobody argues with him," Josie added.
Police are trying to figure out whether the shooting stemmed from some kind of dispute, or if it was a robbery gone wrong.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish. You can also submit a tip via the Crime Stoppers website, by tweeting @NYPDTips or by texting 274637.
