Bronx Deli Gunman Shoots Customer, 33, Then Robs Register on East 149th Street

A gunman burst into 149 Grill and Deli on East 149th Street in Melrose just after 12:15 a.m. Tuesday, shot a 33-year-old customer, and then robbed the store's cash register before fleeing on foot. The entire incident was captured on surveillance video, and no arrests have been made.

According to ABC7 New York, the suspect pointed a weapon at employees, went behind the counter, and took an unknown amount of cash before running eastbound on East 149th Street. The wounded customer was rushed to NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, the municipal Level 1 Trauma Center that sits just blocks away at East 149th Street and Morris Avenue, according to NYC Health + Hospitals. He is expected to survive.

Detectives are still investigating whether the customer was the intended target of the shooting or was caught in the crossfire of the takeover robbery, the outlet's report notes. Police describe the suspect as last seen wearing a red hooded sweatshirt, gray sweatpants and white sneakers.

A Commercial Corridor With a Violent History

The deli sits along East 149th Street in Melrose, a stretch that converges with Third, Willis and Melrose avenues to form The Hub, described by Wikipedia as the South Bronx's oldest major shopping district and one of the densest retail and transit corridors in the borough. The area has seen gun violence before — in August 2024, a 26-year-old man was shot four times in the leg near Walton Avenue and East 149th Street in Mott Haven, just blocks west of Melrose, per News 12 Bronx.

Local business owners have also raised broader safety concerns nearby. In July 2025, municipal authorities carried out a multi-agency operation around Roberto Clemente Plaza at East 149th Street and Third Avenue after merchants complained about open-air drug activity and shoplifting in The Hub, according to Samaritan Daytop Village.

Precinct Leads City in Robbery Complaints Despite Citywide Drop

The numbers paint a mixed picture. Citywide, NYPD CompStat data through August 23 shows robbery complaints down 12.2% year-to-date, falling from 9,752 to 8,560, while shooting incidents dropped 8.7%, from 472 to 431, compared with the same period last year, per the City of New York. Yet the 40th Precinct, which covers Melrose and Mott Haven, recorded 210 year-to-date robbery complaints as of the week ending July 26 — the highest total of any precinct in the city, even after a 17% decline from 2025, according to NYPD crime statistics.

Panic Button Programs Aim to Close Security Gaps

The shooting arrives amid ongoing efforts to shore up security at small Bronx businesses. In May 2025, New York City announced a $1.6 million emergency grant initiative to equip 500 bodegas and delis across the five boroughs with SilentShield panic buttons that alert the NYPD directly and stream live camera feeds to local precincts during emergencies, as reported by The Chief. That same month, state Assemblymember George Alvarez introduced the Bodega Act of 2025, which would create a state grant program under the Division of Criminal Justice Services to help small food marts fund panic buttons and surveillance systems, according to the Bronx Times. It remains unclear whether 149 Grill and Deli had any such alert hardware installed at the time of the robbery.

Potential Charges If Suspect Is Caught

Should investigators identify and capture the gunman, he could face Robbery in the First Degree under New York Penal Law Section 160.15, a Class B violent felony that applies when a perpetrator displays a loaded, functional firearm during a forcible theft and carries a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 25 years in prison, according to the Law Offices of Daniel McGuinness. Prosecutors could also pursue Assault in the First Degree under Penal Law Section 120.10, another Class B violent felony punishable by up to 25 years when a suspect causes serious physical injury with a deadly weapon, per the same legal source.

As of Tuesday, no arrests had been announced in connection with the shooting and robbery. The investigation remains active, and detectives have not said whether the surveillance footage has yielded leads on the suspect's identity or whereabouts.