By Andrew Califf, Rocco Parascandola, John Annese and Police Bureau Chief for the New York Daily News on May 24, 2023 at 9:06 am
A father who flew into New York from Egypt to visit his son was struck by a stray bullet and fatally wounded outside a Washington Heights deli, police said Wednesday.
Reda Girgis, 66, was an innocent bystander caught up in a hail of bullets fired in a Tuesday night drive-by shooting at Broadway and W. 162nd St. outside ChopCheese Deli, where he was visiting his son at work.
The gunman fired from a grey Audi SUV toward the crowded sidewalk at 7:11 p.m.
“He just came three days ago to visit his son, and he got killed,” said Gamal Abouelezz, another clerk at the deli. “I had him in my arms and I wanted to put pressure to stop the blood and people just kept walking by. I couldn’t do anything.”
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Girgis, struck once in the head, was rushed by medics to Metropolitan Hospital in critical condition and later died.
“The ambulance was coming, but it would have been faster if I could have walked with him,” Abouelezz said.
The Audi was last seen heading south on Broadway.
Deli workers said the victim was the owner’s father.
“I saw people break and start running, and that was when I dived down,” one worker told a group of store regulars, explaining how he took cover behind the counter.
A bullet was still visible lodged in the deli’s door Wednesday.
“I was in bed and I heard three loud popping sounds. I thought it was fireworks,” said one regular, who identified herself only as Shirley, who lives across the street. “Then I heard screaming and that was when I knew it wasn’t fireworks.”
“When I looked out the window, I saw a crowd of people around who I assume was the guy who got hit, and a trail of blood around the corner,” she added. “I’m not surprised, I have lived around here my whole life and that corner is really chaotic.”
Police said it is not yet clear what sparked the gunfire, though sources said detectives suspect gang involvement. Investigators are trying to determine if others were shot and sought treatment on their own.
Andrew Califf 