Deadly Shooting at Brooklyn Laundromat
A 41-year-old man was fatally shot while washing clothes with his wife at a laundromat in Brooklyn on Monday morning. The gunman also accidentally injured a 68-year-old bystander during the attack, according to police and witnesses.
The incident occurred around 8 a.m. at Xpress Laundromat on Utica Avenue near Avenue J in Flatlands. The suspect entered the business, briefly looked around, then drew a firearm and opened fire on the victim, striking him multiple times. The entire attack lasted less than 10 seconds, said Sufyan Alahmadi, the 30-year-old manager of the laundromat.
“He just came in, he shot, and then he just left the place in less than 10 seconds,” Alahmadi told reporters. “[The killer] just took a look, and then he just grabbed the gun, and then he shot him.”
The victim, who law enforcement sources say was the intended target, was rushed to Kings County Hospital Center where he was pronounced dead. He has a criminal record, and the shooting may have been gang-related, sources said. His identity has not been released pending notification of family.
A stray bullet grazed the foot of a 68-year-old man who was also at the laundromat. He was hospitalized in stable condition and has no criminal record, according to sources.
The suspect was last seen wearing all black clothing and a black mask. Surveillance video shows the gunman hiding his weapon before entering the business, then pulling it out and opening fire, Alahmadi said.
Police cordoned off the scene, and splattered blood was visible on the laundromat’s floor as investigators worked. The search for the suspect is ongoing.
