By Ivan Pereira
Police were seeking anyone with information about a shooting outside a south Jamaica strip mall early Monday morning that took the life of a Brooklyn man.
Gary Daley, 31, of Brownsville, was found in a parking lot near the corner of Merrick Boulevard and Selover Road around 4:30 a.m. with multiple gunshot wounds to his chest and legs, police said. He was rushed to Jamaica Hospital but was pronounced dead once he got to the medical center, according to investigators.
The parking lot serves eight stores that were all closed at the time of the shooting, according to each of the owners. Camille Lewis, 32, is the daughter of the owner of the 99-cent store, located in the strip mall.
Lewis, who has worked at the store, said she never felt threatened while working there.
“We’ve been here for four years and we never had anything like this,” she said as she waited for officers to finish collecting evidence so she could open the shop.
The other owners of the remaining seven businesses, which include a bagel shop, nail salon and a parcel center, said they arrived after the police showed up at the scene and did not know Daley or why he was in the lot.
None of the stores had surveillance cameras outside their doors, but a Subway restaurant did have a camera, although it was unknown if it recorded footage of the incident.
No suspects were named and there were no arrests as of press time Tuesday afternoon, and the investigation was ongoing, according to police.
Crime scene investigators spent the morning marking the locations of evidence with numbered cards as the shop owners and customers gathered to see what was going on. A red Yankees cap and a native American head pendant were found at the scene and marked as evidence.
Some residents said that they heard Daley may have been out clubbing in the area, but one of the nearest club, Occasions Banquet Hall, at 127-08 Merrick Blvd., is closed Sundays.
This is the 12th murder to take place in the 113th Precinct, but that is a nearly 20 percent decrease from the 15 homicides that took place during the same period last year, according to NYPD statistics.
Overall crime in the precinct, which covers the neighborhoods of St. Albans, Hollis, Springfield Gardens, South Ozone Park, South Jamaica, Addisleigh Park and Locust Manor, has increased more than 17 percent from 1,508 reported incidents last year to 1,769 so far reported incidents in 2011, the NYPD said.
“There’s always something suspicious going on in this neighborhood,” said one customer, who asked not to be named.
Anyone with information is urged to call Crimestoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), text their tips to 274637 (crimes) then enter TIP577 or log on to nypdcrimestoppers.com. All reports will be kept confidential.
Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e-mail at ipereira@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4546.
