EXCLUSIVE: Family of worker killed at Manhattan Home Depot speaks out

NEW YORK (WABC) -- The family of the Home Depot worker shot and killed inside a Manhattan store is speaking out exclusively to Eyewitness News.

We're learning more about a possible motive in the shooting.

"When I was told the information, I said, 'Can you please repeat this, he was assassinated, killed by a coworker at work?' This doesn't go together in the same sentence," said Royata Diarra-Sy, the victim's wife.

The plan for Moctar Sy was to live and work on the same continent as his wife and son, work in international finance, and to grow his family.

"Really nice guy, a great father, a very good husband," Royata said.

The 38-year old father was in the U.S. to get his master's degree in economics from Baruch College. His wife already holds a Masters in Business, and works as financial analyst in Paris. He was just there two weeks ago.

"We were just back home and so many people came to visit him because they were missing him. He was a really nice person, sweet, sweet, sweet," Royata said.

Sy came to the U.S. back in 2000.

He was brought here by his sister who works in peacekeeping for the U.N. She got the call Sunday, that there had been a workplace shooting at Home Depot on West 23rd in the Flatiron District.

"Someone from Home Depot told me that the guy was getting some counseling and I think he was not happy for the fact that my brother got the managerial position and he didn't," said Kadidia Traore, the victim's sister.

Originally from Mali in West Africa, Sy is the youngest of six and just completed his graduate studies last summer.

"He wanted to come here and I told him, 'If you study, if you have good grades, I'll come get you.' And I took a plane and I got a visa and I brought him here, but I never thought I would take him back in a box to his mother," Traore said.

The family is planning a small memorial service in New York and will ultimately make the final arrangements for the funeral in Mali.