A 17-year-old boy is recovering after being shot in the chest inside a Bronx convenience store this yesterday, in an incident that has prompted a police manhunt for the two suspects. The shooting occurred at Za Convenience, 1740 Lafayette Ave., just before 1 p.m., according to New York Post. The assailants, described as wearing all black and masks, were seen fleeing the scene on a scooter.
Officials stated that the teenager was taken to NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi and is expected to recover from the injuries sustained. Police have been to actively canvass for surveillance footage that could potentially aid in capturing the suspects. The crime scene, which appears to be a recurring spot for violence, was also the location of a 2012 shooting, reported by News 12, which similarly involved masked individuals.
The convenience store has had a troubled past, with a temporary closure in 2023 following a civil complaint about the unlicensed sale of marijuana, as ABC7NY reported. Despite an agreement not to sell pot afterward, the shop's history with such incidents casts a shadow over the motives behind the latest shooting, though police have yet to draw any direct links to illegal drug sales.
