Benjamin Carroll

Mystery Around Man Gunned Down in Front of 24-Hour Duane Reade in Queens: Cops

A man was shot and killed in front of a 24-hour Duane Reade and steps from a busy Queens subway station, police say.

Now police are investigating a two-pronged mystery: they're working to confirm both the identity of the victim, and who his killer may have been.

The 40-something-year-old man was found unconscious at the Woodside Memorial Park on Roosevelt Avenue, about a block away from the 61 Street-Woodside station around 12:30 Tuesday morning, according to the NYPD. Police say he may have been homeless.

The unidentified man was rushed to an area hospital with a gunshot wound to his torso. The man was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Video from the scene shows yellow crime scene tape in front of the Duane Reade as investigators search for clues. 

The circumstances leading up to the shooting weren’t clear and police did not elaborate on a description of a suspect.

Though police were trying to identify the victim, a Woodside resident said he knew him and would often see him in the park. 

"I saw him like two days ago, he was sleeping right there," said Mickey Santiago as he left a single candle at the scene Tuesday. 

Debbie Vazquez, who's live in the neighborhood for years, said she's called police about drinking and violence in the park before. 

"This little area has been problematic," she said. 

There are no arrests and the investigation remains ongoing.

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