Sources: Bodega Worker Mohammed Qutaish Shot To Death After Dispute Over Cigarettes
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – A man and woman are under arrest after a dispute over a cigarette led to a deadly shooting in the Bronx.
Sources tell CBS2 a 25-year-old woman walked into a bodega Tuesday on White Plains Road in Williamsbridge and asked for single loose cigarette.
Worker Mohammed Qutaish said the store didn't sell them, but the woman allegedly returned later and started attacking the 20-year-old.
Police said when Qutaish picked up a broomstick to defend himself, the woman's male companion shot him in the chest.
"He was very humble," friend William Brown said. "He didn't really bother anybody."
Yemeni Leaders Speak Out On Deadly Bronx Shootings
The shooter – identified as 28-year-old Adrien Topping – was arrested on several charges, including second-degree murder.
The woman was also arrested on an unrelated drug charge.
"We all, as a Yemeni community, are shocked and sad," said Labeb Nasher, of the Yemeni American Merchants Association.
On Saturday, another Yemeni clerk was shot and killed while working at B&A Gourmet Deli on the corner of Brook Avenue and 137th Street in Mott Haven. The Yemeni American Merchants Association is offering a $10,000 reward to help police find the killer in that incident. Visit yamausa.org for more information.
