New York

80-Year-Old Brooklyn Bodega Worker Shot to Death in His Own Store: NYPD

What to Know

  • Abdulla Yafaee, 80, was shot and killed inside his East New York store Tuesday evening by a gunman in his 30s or 40s, police say
  • Authorities said the two men were in some sort of argument before the shooting, but it's not clear if they knew one another
  • The shooting is the second deadly altercation inside the bodega after a 2014 killing left a 55-year-old man with gashes to his head

An 80-year-old bodega worker was shot and killed inside his own store in Brooklyn on Tuesday evening, according to the NYPD.

Police said they're looking for a gunman in his 30s or 40s after the shooting inside the bodega at Stanley and Ashford avenues in East New York about 6:20 p.m.

Authorities said the two men were in some sort of argument before the shooting, but it's not clear if they knew one another. 

The 80-year-old, identified as Abdulla Yafaee, was taken to Brookdale Hospital after the shooting and was pronounced dead not long after arrival. 

Neighbors living in the area described Yafaee as a beloved member of the community who would help out customers who couldn't afford to pay full prices for items.

"He’s a quiet guy. He never argued with anybody," Eric Perez, a regular customer, said. "They really need to put more patrol officers down there."

Tuesday's shooting is the second deadly altercation inside the bodega. In 2014, 55-year-old Hisham Zidan was found dead with gashes on his head in a basement bathroom at the bodega.

Anyone with information on the gunman should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.

Contact Us