Bangladeshi shot dead after gunman enters New York pizza shop, another injured

A Bangladeshi-origin man was shot dead by a gunman at a Bangladeshi-owned pizza shop in Brooklyn, New York City.

The victim was identified as Mohammad Raju, 44, from Sonaimuri upazila of Noakhali district. His wife and children live in Bangladesh.

Another Bangladeshi-origin man, 39-year-old Russell, was also injured and is undergoing treatment at a hospital.

The incident took place at around 11:30 pm last Saturday at American Best Wings and Pizza on Rockaway Avenue in Precinct 73.

After receiving the report, a team from the New York City Police Department arrived at the scene at 12:01am and rescued the two gunshot victims. They were taken to Brooklyn Health-Brookdale University Hospital Medical Centre.

Raju, who had been shot in the chest, was pronounced dead by physicians on duty after being taken to the hospital. No one involved in the incident has been arrested yet. Police are investigating the incident.

Mohammad Russell, Raju’s colleague who is undergoing treatment at the hospital, told the media, “A Black man entered the shop and shot me directly without saying anything. I fell to the ground after being shot in the thigh. Later, the man also shot Raju, who was working as a cashier. He was shot in the chest. The pizza shop is owned by a friend of Raju. Raju looked after the shop as if it were his own.”

Shop owner Abdul Jalil said, “Raju was my friend. He would look after my shop as if it were his own. His home was in Kongshonagar village of Amishapara Union in Sonaimuri upazila of Noakhali. Raju’s wife and two young children live in Bangladesh.”

Jalil said, “Raju came to the United States three years ago. He has no relatives here. Financial assistance from the Bangladeshi community is needed to send his body back to Bangladesh. We hope Bangladesh Society and other associations will extend active support.”

Bangladeshi immigrants in the United States have demanded a proper investigation into the incident and urged authorities to quickly bring the gunman involved to justice.