Thomas MacMillan Photo
On the same day police announced they’d solved an old murder, a new one occurred.
Someone shot a 55-year-old clerk to death at the Orchard Market Tuesday morning. On Tuesday afternoon, police announced the arrest of a man for the 2011 killing of 23-year-old Kahson Douglas.
Case Opened
Police received the report of a man shot at around 10:50 a.m. Tuesday.
The victim, Abdul L. Rawas, 55, was shot to death in the market at Orchard and Henry streets, two blocks from Hillhouse High School.
Here’s an initial picture emerging from the incident:
Rawas was working as a clerk in the store when a man came in, brandished a gun, and demanded money.
Instead of giving him the money, the clerk got into a “tussle” with the gunman, according to one person familiar with the still-nascent investigation. At that point the robber apparently shot the clerk.
The clerk ran outside. The robber went behind the counter and opened the register.
It is believed that the clerk then ran back into the store. The robber shot him again at that point, then fled the scene.
He robber remained at large as of 4 p.m. Tuesday. Police did have leads they were pursuing.
The victim was shot in the back and in the arm.
After police arrived at the scene, the victim was transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital, where he was subsequently pronounced dead.
It was New Haven’s first homicide of 2013.
Police released the following photos of the suspected shooter:
Case Closed
Police Tuesday afternoon announced an arrest in the 2011 killing of 23-year-old Kahson Douglas. He was shot and killed on Edward Street at 3:40 p.m. on Oct. 28, 2011.
“Today we bring justice to this family,” said Chief Dean Esserman (pictured) at press conference on the third floor of police headquarters.
Assistant Chief Archie Generoso said that the case was closed by lead Detective Elisa Tuozzoli, a 15-year veteran of the force, who was approved for a promotion to sergeant later Tuesday evening.
Police developed a suspect early in the investigation, a man who is now 22 years old. After working the case for more than a year, police had a break in the case in the last two weeks that allowed them to secure a warrant for the 22-year-old. Sgt. Tony Reyes said police couldn’t disclose the nature of the new information that allowed them to close the case.
A judge signed a warrant on Monday. Police made the arrest the same day, at the 22-year-old’s home on Dayton Street.
Thomas MacMillan Photo
Douglas’ aunt (pictured) and mom spoke tearfully at the press conference.
Yvonne Heard (pictured), Douglas’ mother, said her son was her best friend.
“It just hurts so bad,” she said.
She spoke directly to people committing gun violence in the city. Killings don’t really hurt the people who are killed, they hurt the family who is left to grieve, she said. “You don’t know. You guys don’t know what you’re doing to people.”
The 22-year-old who was arrested is a convicted felon on narcotics charges. He was the victim of a shooting on on June 13, 2011 on Phillip Street. He refused to cooperate with police on that investigation.
The man was charged with with manslaughter in the first degree, criminal use of a firearm, criminal possession of a firearm, unlawful discharge of a firearm and carrying a pistol without a permit.
Family members hugged Detective Tuozzoli after the press conference.
My heart goes out to the man's family. What a horrible crime, in broad daylight, on a weekday.
I hope there is high-resolution footage of the incident. Any owner of a store on Orchard Street should be required to have every corner of the store covered with cameras to deter crime and prosecute criminals. Do any stores on Orchard NOT get robbed annually or more often?