A 19-year-old man was shot dead by a teenager who tried to rob him in the parking lot of a Brooklyn BJ’s Wholesale Club store late Thursday, police officers said.
Dereck Chen, 19, of Bensonhurst, was with a friend in an upper parking lot at the Shore Parkway store in Bath Beach around 10:15 p.m. when the 18-year-old suspect approached him and forced him into the elevator alone, authorities said .
Chen and the suspect took the elevator from the third to the first floor of the garage, police said.
As they got off the elevator, the suspect grabbed Chen’s backpack, police officers said.
As Chen struggled to retrieve it, the killer pulled out a gun and shot him in the face and right shoulder, authorities said.
Chen – who lived about 2 miles from the scene – was taken to NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn, where he was pronounced dead, police officers said.
The teenager was shot in the face while trying to retrieve his backpack from the 18-year-old gunman, police officers said. William C. Lopez/NYPOST
Dereck Chen, 19, was with a friend in the parking lot of the Shore Parkway store in Bath Beach around 10:15 p.m. Thursday when the 18-year-old suspect approached him and forced him into the elevator alone, authorities said. William C. Lopez/NYPOST
The suspect was taken into custody with charges pending, authorities said. William C. Lopez / NYPOST
The teenage gunman was arrested shortly afterwards and a gun was recovered from the scene, police said.
Charges are pending and the suspect was not immediately identified by authorities.
In a statement released to WCBS, BJ’s called the shooting a “horrific tragedy.”
“BJ’s Wholesale Club joins our Bath Beach community in mourning the loss of the victim and speaking out against all forms of violence,” the statement said. “The safety of our BJ members, team members and community is our top priority and we are working with local authorities and safety experts to ensure the safest environment.”