Two Men Shot And Killed By Masked Man In Staten Island
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Two men were shot and killed in the Dongan Hills section of Staten Island Tuesday evening.
It happened around 6:30 p.m. at Universal Merchant Funding at 124 Buel Ave.
As CBS2's Jessica Layton reported, the shooter entered the business wearing a ski mask and shot both victims in the head. The men, aged 52 and 57-years old, were pronounced dead on scene.
Devin Rocco worked at Universal Merchant Funding until a few months ago. He tells WCBS 880's Alex Silverman they gave cash advances to small businesses, but didn't keep cash in house.
The victims are believed to be the owner and an employee of the business. Police have identified the 57-year-old victim as Michael Genovese of Edgewater, NJ. The 52-year-old victim's identification is being withheld pending family notification.
"It's a little bit terrifying when you lived in this neighborhood all your life," neighbor Joe Salemmo said.
Salemmo remembers welcoming the owner of the small business loans company to his neighborhood. He can't believe the building is the scene of an apparent double murder.
"This is devastating," he said. "Makes you want to move from the neighborhood because you don't feel safe anymore."
People who live on nearby blocks came out of their homes in the cold and rain to see men in white suits taking pictures and collecting evidence -- their friendly neighborhood turned upside down with emergency lights, cameras, and cops.
"It's just really scary," neighbor Maria Scarcella said. "You go to work and don't know if you're going to come home."
Salemmo says he's left with a heavy heart and a lot on his mind.
"What do you do now? What do you do to make the neighborhood safe again?" he asked.
The suspect fled in a grey colored vehicle heading eastbound on Dongan Hills Road, according to police.
No arrests have been made as police continue to search for a motive in the shooting. The investigation is ongoing.
Stick with CBSNewYork for more on this developing story.
