Jayquan Lewis, a 21-year-old aspiring actor, was shot multiple times by an unidentified attacker at BH gourmet Deli in Fordham on Friday. Lewis, who appeared as an extra on Law and Order, was pronounced dead at St Barnabas Hospital.
Lewis' murder comes days after Delia Johnson, a black woman, was shot dead point blank in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. The female shooter was caught on camera shooting Johnson in the back of her head.
Lewis Was Standing Near the Cash Counter
In the footage accessed by New York Post, Lewis is seen standing near the cash counter along with another customer. Lewis was buying a bottle of Poland Spring water.
The 14-second clip shows a customer leaving the store, when suddenly the shooter, dressed in denim shorts, white tank top and sneakers with a cross-body bag, appears from behind and starts shooting.
Startled with the bangs the other customer ducks while Lewis tries to escape the bullets before falling to the ground on the side of the cash counter.
Shot multiple times, Lewis' legs are seen shaking in the viral footage. Sources told the outlet that the killer shot Lewis seven times, three times in the chest, three times in the arm and once in the stomach. After shooting, the killer is seen walking out of the store.
Lewis' Killing Was 'Personal' Attack
A NYPD source told the outlet that Lewis was killed over a beef on social media and that he may have had gang ties. Stating that the killing appeared personal, Joseph Giacalone, an adjunct professor at John Jay College and a former NYPD sergeant said: "I have no doubt that (the victim) was targeted. The guy standing next to him could've easily been killed too, but wasn't."
Speaking to NY Daily, Lewis' mother, Marisol Sanchez, said that several celebrities had told Lewis that they saw him "making it."
Speaking about her son, Sanchez, 43, said the last thing he had said to her was, "Mommy I'm going to the store to get something to drink, do you want something to drink?"
The grieving mother recalled telling her son to, "Hurry up, you know I don't want you in the streets."
Revealing that Lewis said "I love you" before moving out of the house, Sanchez said, "I warned him because so much stuff has been going on around here. I have seen so many shootings and I've been seeing a lot of killings. That was one of my biggest fears, something happening to my son."
