Police investigate shooting at Irvington gas station

ByToni Yates, via
Monday, August 25, 2014
Police hunt gunman after NJ gas station shooting
Toni Yates reports a man was shot at an Irvington gas station early Monday after an altercation.

IRVINGTON, N.J. (WABC) -- Police in New Jersey are investigating a shooting early Monday at a gas station in Irvington.



The shooting happened at about 2 a.m., in front the BP Gas Station on Union Avenue.



Eyewitnesses say the victim, a 28-year-old Newark man, was walking alone along Union Avenue when a Jeep with several people inside pulled up next to him.



The incident had nothing to do with the gas station, but employees there witnessed the events.



"There wasn't any cursing, there was no problem," gas station attendant Emre Akyez said. "They just opened the door and hit the guy, and then I heard the gunshot."



And there is part of the mystery behind this shooting. Who shot the victim? Did he accidentally shoot himself?



"They opened the door, they beat him," Akyez said. "The guy somehow managed to shoot the gun. It was hidden in his pocket, baggy pants, he had the gun inside."



The attendant's account suggests the victim was carrying the gun, but the facts remain sketchy.



"We believe that much of what he said is accurate," Irvington Police Chief Michael Chase said. "The victim may fill in the blanks, if he cooperates."



And that may depend largely on who really had the gun, according to the chief. Was this a random attempted robbery where a victim was shot by his attackers? Or did the victim try to defend himself with a gun?



Police say they are still looking for more witnesses.



One of the bullets shattered the windows of a car parked at the gas station, but no one else was hurt. The chief says solving this crime may depend on the backstories of the victim and his assailants.



"It's very disturbing when you have someone shot, and you're trying to catch the person that shot him so he can't shoot anyone else and have the victim not cooperate," Chase said. "They know the person, their name, where to find them, but they don't give us that information."



There is no word yet on the victim's condition.



The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is asked to call police.

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