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Shooting at Jamaica tavern leaves 27-year-old man dead

Shooting at Jamaica tavern leaves 27-year-old man dead
By Joe Anuta

A weeks-old grudge could be behind the early Saturday shooting at a Jamaica restaurant.

A South Jamaica man was shot and killed and another man wounded at El Nuevo Cafe Latino, the NYPD said.

Police arrived at the bar and eatery at about 2 a.m. in response to reports of gunfire. Officers found Jony Gonzales, 27, dead with a gunshot wound to the chest, according to police.

Another man was shot in the stomach and taken to Jamaica Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition, the NYPD said.

The gunman knew Gonzales and opened fire in the restaurant after the two had gotten into a fight two weeks before, according to the New York Post.

It was unclear whether the injured man knew the gunman, the Post reported.

Workers in shops nearby the restaurant, at 144-11 Jamaica Ave., said this was not the first time gunfire has erupted in the neighborhood.

Anna, who works nearby, recalled that someone else was shot about two months ago.

Other workers in the area said fights from bars and clubs that spill out into the street are fairly common.

Just a block away March 1, a group of men believed to be part of the Latin Kings gang opened fire in a Wendy’s parking lot. Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said at the time investigators believed the men were aiming for members of a rival gang, MS-13.

Reach reporter Joe Anuta by e-mail at januta@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4566.