Witnesses tell Eyewitness News that Zoungo Sou-Oud was hard at work at the car wash, when a spray of bullets from across the street shattered what had been a peaceful Sunday afternoon.
Nearby surveillance cameras captured everything, but the catch is investigators say Zoungo wasn't the intended target, marking another innocent life gone too soon.
"He was a nice person, he was working to take care of his family back home," the victim's friend said.
For the past five years, friends say 34-year-old Zoungo Sou-Oud spent nearly every day working at the car wash toward a better future, and not just for himself.
"He's got two kids and a wife," his friend said.
Zoungo was planning to rejoin his family in West Africa later this year, a joyous reunion that will never happen because of the violence captured in an exclusive surveillance video.
Nearby surveillance cameras captured the aftermath of the gunfire that erupted near the intersection of 18th Avenue and Alexander Street shortly after 2 p.m. Sunday.
On the video, another unknown man who appeared to be shot struggled to limp and run down the street.
Minutes later you can see bystanders then turning their attention to Zoungo who was struck by a stray bullet at the car wash.
Police and EMS arrived on scene within minutes, but it was too later to revive the hardworking father of two.
"Not anything like that happen before, not anything," the victim's friend said.
Police are now searching for the gunman as two other unidentified men, ages 33 and 22, who were also shot are recovering at a nearby hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Police have set up a mobile billboard along 18th Avenue asking the public for their help with this case.
If you saw or heard anything give their tip line a call at 1-877-847-7432 or (973) 621-4586.