Smoke shop worker shot on the job in Hell's Kitchen
NEW YORK -- CBS2 has obtained surveillance footage from an early Wednesday morning shooting in Hell's Kitchen that left a smoke shop worker in the hospital.
The footage was taken on 49th Street and Ninth Avenue just after midnight. A nearby bodega's surveillance camera captured the moments before a gunman, accompanied by others, shot a smoke shop worker. They were mostly out of frame, but one suspect is seen in all black pacing back and forth before another person pulls out a gun. Seconds later, they are seen running off.
"Like, feeling crazy right now. It's not safe," said Ali Alnoor, owner of Smoke City.
Alnoor said he wasn't working at the time, but his employee, who was seen being loaded into an ambulance, told him more than 10 teens walked into the store and started grabbing stuff off the shelves before moving toward the register. The owner said his worker told the kids to leave, but one of them pulled out a gun and shot him in the left leg.
"You always get this worry on your mind now, like where to be safe at," Alnoor said.
The owner of the bodega where the footage was gathered said the smoke shop is no stranger to robberies and other violent encounters.
"No, no, not the first time. A couple of times," Golam Haider said, adding when asked when the last incident was, "Like a month ago."
He said in that recent incident a man walked into the smoke shop with a gun and demanded cash from the business. No one was hurt.
The video from Wednesday morning's incident appears to show the suspects wearing all black.
Police said the worker who was shot in the leg is at Bellevue Hospital in stable condition. He is expected to make a full recovery.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
