Reward in killing of Burger King employee during robbery grows to $20,000
EAST HARLEM, Manhattan (WABC) -- The reward being offered in connection with the fatal shooting of a 19-year-old Burger King cashier in East Harlem now stands at $20,000.
The NYPD posted $10,000 and billionaire mogul John Catsimatidis has added another $10,000.
The postings come amid outrage, pain and calls for an end to gun violence following the murder.
Community activists gathered outside the Burger King Tuesday night where 19-year-old Kristal Bayron-Nieves was shot during a hold-up while working an overnight shift early Sunday.
The incident was caught on video as the gunman waved the weapon in the direction of employees and ordering them to surrender the money.
The suspect reportedly got away with $100 before the victim was shot in the torso and killed.
Police released a security camera video showing the suspect:
Her family is living with the kind of pain that cannot be imagined.
"Kristal didn't deserve this, she did not wake up thinking she wasn't gonna make it back home," cousin Kiera Fuentes said. "This is hurting our family so much and we just want justice for her already. It's heartbreaking, this shouldn't be happening to anyone, especially teenagers."
As Jim Dolan reported, community groups are also calling for an end to the violence and their pleas were loud and filled with pain and grief.
"Gun violence is probably one of the most preventable epidemic that we have," public advocate Jumaane Williams said.
Mayor Eric Adams was also in the crowd. He met with the victim's family on Monday to console them and said he is committed to finding the suspect who committed the senseless act.
"It is unacceptable to me, and the person who did this must be caught," Adams said. "And those who carry guns in my city -- we're going to find you."
Bayron-Nieves' killer has not yet been caught and activists are calling for more to be done to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.
But until police make an arrest, the focus remains on the victim and a family that lost a daughter who was simply working hard late at night when her life was taken in a cold-hearted act of violence.
A spokesperson for Burger King released the following statement:
"Our hearts go out to the family, friends and colleagues of the team member involved in the tragic event that occurred at this location. The franchisee is fully cooperating with local authorities on this matter. As this remains an ongoing investigation, we're not able to comment further or share additional details."
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