What to Know
- Abdulla Yafaee, 80, was shot and killed inside his East New York store Tuesday evening by a gunman, 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 alleged gunman was arrested Thursday on charges of second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon
A Brooklyn man has been arrested days after police say he shot and killed an 80-year-old bodega owner in his own store.
Mark Thomas, 40, faces charges of second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon following his arrest Thursday.
Police believe Thomas shot Abdulla Yafaee in his bodega at Stanley and Ashford avenues in East New York Tuesday evening.
Authorities said the two men were in some sort of argument before the shooting, but it's not clear if they knew one another.
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."
Local
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.
