NYPD: 65-year-old man shoots younger man who was attempting to rob him in Kew Gardens
NEW YORK -- A 32-year-old man was shot and killed Wednesday morning in Kew Gardens, Queens, after police say he attempted to rob an older man.
The shooter was eventually taken into custody and is awaiting potential charges.
CBS2 has watched the surveillance video of what happened and though building staff would not allow us to broadcast it, we can tell you an attempted robbery turned deadly in an alleyway.
On Wednesday afternoon, 82nd Avenue and Queens Boulevard was still a crime scene as detectives and District Attorney Melinda Katz survey the area.
About 10 hours earlier, police sources say a 65-year-old man, a tenant of the apartment complex, shot and killed the 32-year-old man that was attempting to rob him.
CBS2 was able to watch the unreleased building surveillance video. It shows the encounter in an alleyway into the garage entrance. The tenant is seen backpedaling as he's approached by a man holding a sharp object in his right hand. The 65-year-old tenant is seen taking out a revolver, in full-view of the assailant, who continues to approach. Seconds later, multiple gunshots were fired. The shooter goes inside and eventually calls police. The man who was shot is seen sprinting back down the alley before he collapses to the ground. He was later pronounced dead at the scene.
"This is a complicated case, and, um, we're gonna review the evidence. We just went to the crime scene and we'll have comments for you after we investigate it," Katz said.
According to police sources, the shooter will be charged with possession of an unlicensed weapon without a permit, but will not be charged in the death of the assailant.
The building's superintendent described the 65-year-old as a calm, nice man who keeps to himself. Fellow tenants like Angel Rodriguez said the same.
"He was my neighbor, yeah. Very nice guy. I knew him well," Rodriguez said. "We see each other walking our dogs. We say hi. We talk. Occasionally chit chat for a bit."
Sources say that the object the victim was holding turned out to be a pen, not a knife as the shooter had suspected. The assailant had a lengthy criminal record that includes upwards of 20 arrests. The identities of the victim and shooter have not yet been officially released.
