A search is underway on Manhattan's Lower East Side for a gunman who shot and wounded a deli worker during an early morning robbery, according to Eyewitness News ABC7NY. The 25-year-old store employee was grazed in the upper leg in the attack, and the accused robber remains on the run as the investigation gets underway.
The shooting happened at around 1:30 a.m. at a store on Rivington Street. Investigators spent much of the morning going in and out of the convenience store, looking for any clues that might help them find the person who pulled the trigger, the station reported, while officers continued to search for the suspect.
The worker, who identifies himself as Ace, described how the encounter unfolded. He said the man walked in acting like he was a regular customer, asking to buy some candy and some chips, then said he did not have the money and that someone was supposed to send him the funds.
According to the worker, the man then waited for the right opportunity, and once the staff were distracted, he came behind the counter and started pointing a gun. When he did not get what he wanted, the worker said, the man simply opened fire, grazing him in the upper leg before fleeing the store.
After what he described as extremely terrifying moments, the worker said he is okay after getting the necessary care, according to Eyewitness News ABC7NY. He also noted that he had only been on the job for about a month at the deli when the robbery took place.
Asked whether the deli needed to add safety modifications, the worker said the store was already equipped for such situations. He said it had everything from cameras to buzzers, and even a panic button, features he said were already in place at the store.
Police are still searching for the suspect, who got away on foot and was last seen wearing a black shirt and shorts and white sneakers, according to the station. Officers are urging anyone with information about the shooting to come forward and contact them right away so they can track down the person responsible.