By Ivan Pereira
Business owners in Queens Village said they were shocked to hear a Bronx man was gunned down while their stores were closed during the weekend, but said the police had one key advantage in catching the murderers.
Rohan Thomas, 27, of Bently Plaza in the Bronx was found with a gunshot wound to his back on Jamaica Avenue and 212nd Street around 5:30 a.m. Sunday, police said. The man was rushed to Queens Hospital in critical condition but succumbed to his wounds later in the day, according to police.
No suspects had been named and there were no arrests as of press time Tuesday afternoon, police said. The investigation was ongoing, authorities said.
The street is lined with several small businesses and a car wash, most of which were closed during the shooting, according to workers and owners.
“Wow, I didn’t know that this happened,” said Guerlie Gaspard, who has been working at a salon near where the shooting took place.
Police combed the crime scene, which included an abandoned pair of red dress shoes and a dark sedan with its windows blown out and bullet holes in the driver’s side. Gaspard noted there were two police cameras planted on two light poles in the area and said those could provide valuable tools for the investigation.
“They have the cameras, so they can find out who [the shooter] is,” she said.
This was the fifth murder this year in the 105th Precinct, which covers Queens Village, Cambria Heights, Laurelton, Rosedale, Springfield Gardens, Bellerose, Glen Oaks, New Hyde Park and Floral Park. Overall crime in the precinct is down 9.17 percent from 1,277 reported crimes this year compared to 1,406 in 2008, according to the NYPD.
There were six murders at the same time last year, NYPD statistics showed.
“Hopefully, they can catch this person so we can have a safer place for everybody,” Gaspard said.
Anyone with information is urged to call Crimestoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS, text their tips to 274637, then enter TIP577 or log on to nypdcrimestoppers.com.
Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e-mail at ipereira@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 146.
