A Brooklyn neighborhood is in crisis after a bodega worker was executed by a gunman who was angry that he wasn’t given free cigars, leaving one resident furious, saying he “can’t live a normal life anymore.” I’m depressed.
“It’s sad. He wasn’t the type of person to bother anyone,” said Barbara R., 62, of Crown Heights, who shot Nazim Berry in the back of the head while on the run. He spoke on Tuesday, the day after the incident.
Berry worked as a clerk at Amine Deli and could often be seen cleaning outside and stocking shelves, Barbara told The Post on Tuesday. But police and family members say an altercation began around 4:15 p.m. Monday when he refused to give an irate customer free black and mild cigars that sell for about $2. He was reportedly shot.
The victim’s mother, Holly, said the customer left the store, returned with a gun and shot Berry in front of the store. The shooting left residents like Barbara concerned about violence in the city.
“It’s getting to the point where I can’t live a normal life anymore,” Barbara says. “Someone comes up to me and asks me for a dollar. If I say no, I’ll think, “Is this person going to kill me?”
One of Berry’s co-workers said the gunman did not appear to be a regular customer, but noted that the victim was not someone who was looking for trouble.
“All he wanted to do was help,” a colleague said. “He didn’t drink, he didn’t do drugs.
“This is a mess! I hope they catch that bastard soon.”
Police have released security camera images inside and outside the deli of the man they believe pulled the trigger on Berry and are asking the public for help in identifying him.
Images show the suspect wearing black pants, glasses with thin metal frames, and a distinctive varsity-style jacket with black and white patterned sleeves and a large D on the chest.
Berry had worked in a deli for many years and was previously forced to deal with customers who requested free items, her mother said.
“Knowing my son’s heart, I knew he had to overcome the stupidity,” his mother told reporters, describing her son as a “beautiful person.”
The United Bodega Workers of America has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspect in the murder.
