$5,000 Award Offered to Catch Shooter of LES Bodega Worker

After an early morning shooting of a store clerk at a Lower East Side bodega, a NYC bodega organization is is offering a $5000 reward for any information on the perpetrator who fled the scene.

Himyar Salahi, the 25 year-old bodega worker, had tried to tackle the perpetrator after he had pulled out a gun demanding money, leading to the gun firing, Fernando Mateo, a spokesperson for United Bodegas of America (UBA), said outside the bodega on 170 Rivington Street.

Police from the 7th Precinct responded to a 911 call shortly after 1:30 a.m. on August 6. EMS transported Salhi to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition. He is expected to recover. The shooter fled and so far there has been no arrest.

“Early this morning, Himyar Salahi was working in this bodega behind us,” Mateo said at a press conference at noon on the day of the shooting. “Someone came into the store, they tried to take some items, they had no money to pay according to the information that we received. He kept lingering inside the store. Himyar then approached him, and asked him what was going on. He said he was waiting for someone to bring him some money.”

“Meantime, the perp walked towards the front of the bodega and at that point, the perp pulled out a gun, and demanded cash,” Mateo continued. “At the moment, Himyar decided to tackle the guy with the gun, and the gun went off, and Himyar was shot in the right button. This is something that could have been prevented.”

Salahi, a 25-year-old man, was working at his “Wholesome Organic Convenience” bodega located at 170 Rivington St. when he the altercation occured, according to Mateo. Following a 911 call, NYPD’s 7th precinct responded to the incident by transporting Salahi to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition. According to the NYPD, the investigation is ongoing with no suspects or leads, as the perpetrator fled the scene before officers arrived.

Mateo said the shooting is only one of a series of incidents involving bodega workers.

“Here we are, once again today, with another shooting, inside of a bodega,” Mateo said. “We are very concerned about the state of every bodega owner in New York City. As we’ve seen, in the last few weeks, there’s been numerous shootings.”

Mateo said increased enforcement and legislation is needed to prevent further shootouts at bodegas.

“We are once again asking our mayor and our governor to please pass a law that mandates a three to five year sentence for anyone getting caught with an illegal gun in New York City,” Mateo said. “I think that that’s what’s going to deter these type of incidents. This is what’s gonna deter these criminals from carrying guns out the street. Right now, there are no consequences. Right now, this guy is out loose.”

Mateo said that while Salahi’s bodega had been outfitted with the proper panic button, as designated by UBA, he still had decided to tackle the perpetrator.

“We always encourage all of our bodega owners not to approach anyone that has a gun, not to challenge anyone that has a gun and more importantly, make sure that they don’t confront anyone that’s armed, because you could easily lose your life,” Mateo said.

“He had all the equipment that he needed,” Mateo added. “Where they went wrong was that they didn’t use the panic button before the guy pulled out the gun or after he pulled out the gun. I guess he was trying to save his life and the lives of the other people in the bodega. So, it was a heroic effort, but he could have lost his life.”

Mateo said he is unsure when the bodega will reopen, after closing following the incident, but is grateful Salahi remains in stable condition.

“At this moment we don’t know,” Mateo said. “I’m sure that they’re very frightened, they’re scared of what happened, and they’re going to probably take a day or two to reflect on what happened and then reopen.”

“We’re hoping that Himyar is in good spirits,” Mateo added.

The UBA organization is offering a $5000 reward on any information to catch the perpetrator.