The incident happened on October 23rd at the Lucky Grocery & Deli on Merrick Boulevard in Laurelton just before 10 p.m.
Prosecutors allege that 29-year-old Shawn Forde demanded money from the bodega owner and slammed his head to the counter.
The owner's brother, 54-year-old Juan Torres, who also worked at the bodega, heard the commotion and apparently approached Forde from behind.
That's when police say Forde shot Torres in the face, killing him, and fled the scene.
Forde is charged with second-degree murder, first-degree robbery and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
He faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted.
"The defendant is accused of the senseless and tragic shooting death of a man who had come to the aid of his brother during a gunpoint bodega robbery," Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said. "The victim's life was cut short the moment that the defendant decided to pull the trigger, a decision that has had a devastating impact on the victim's family and could lead to the defendant spending the rest of his life in prison. This case is yet another example of the mindless gun-related violence that too often takes innocent lives and recklessly endangers public safety."
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