Deli worker shot and killed on the job in the East Village. Here’s what we know.
By Naveen Dhaliwal
Click here for updates on this story
NEW YORK CITY (WCBS, WLNY) — The deadly shooting of a deli worker late Saturday night in Lower Manhattan has left a community in mourning.
The latest on the investigation
Police say just after 11:30 p.m. officers responded to a 911 call in front of Sal’s Deli and Grocery on Avenue B and East 13th Street in the East Village and found the victim, identified at 28-year-old Abdul Saleh, with a gunshot wound to the torso.
They also found a second man, also 28 years old and also with a gunshot wound to the torso.
Both men were rushed to Bellevue Hospital, where Saleh was pronounced dead. Police say the other man is recovering.
The United Bodegas of America is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
“This is devastating for our community,” UBA President Radahmes Rodriguez said in a statement. “We are under threat in the Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. Abdul was a hardworking family man serving his neighborhood, and this should never happen to anyone trying to earn a living. We urge anyone with information to come forward.”
“What I saw was my friend dying on the corner”
Despite the deli being closed on Sunday, many in the community stopped by to lay flowers and remember Saleh, who acquaintances say was to married with a daughter and had just recently returned from a trip to Yemen to visit his family.
His death has left many shocked and outraged.
“What I heard was a pop, pop, pop. What I saw was my friend dying on the corner,” Rex Hughes said. “I didn’t see the situation that occurred until I saw the videotape. It was just an argument that started in the bodega, and then it made its way outside. Unfortunately, my dear friend, he’s one of the funniest and most gentle and sweet souls.”
“He was always smiling. We laughed, talked. To see someone in our community who was a pillar gone is just hurtful,” friend Tanya Minto added.
UBA spokesman Fernando Mateo is among those calling for enhanced safeguards for bodega workers.
“We are offering this reward because enough is enough. We stand with Abdul’s family and will continue fighting for stronger protections for all bodega workers. We need help and commitment from the City, the State, the DA’s & the Judges in order to reform Bail Reform Laws,” Mateo said in a statement.
Anyone with any 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.
Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.