In the quiet borough of Brooklyn, an evening in December turned tragic for Abdulla Yafaee, an 80-year-old male shop owner of Yemeni descent. On Tuesday, December 12, 2017, inside the East New York bodega he owned, a dispute over a mere fifty cents for a two-dollar beer would escalate into a fatal encounter. A man, unable to complete his purchase, reportedly became enraged and threatened to return and cause harm.
Later that same evening, at approximately 6:30 p.m., the threat
materialized. The man returned to the bodega located at 797 Stanley Avenue and opened fire. Abdulla Yafaee was struck in the chest by a gunshot. Emergency services were called to the scene, and Yafaee was rushed to Brookdale Hospital. Despite their efforts, he was pronounced deceased. The loss was felt deeply by his family, both in New York and his native country of Yemen.
The investigation into the senseless act of violence led police to a suspect. A few days later, authorities arrested 41-year-old Mark Thomas in connection with the shooting. Thomas, who was reported to have a history of prior arrests, was charged with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon. The tragic death of Abdulla Yafaee highlighted a grim reality, as it was noted that this was not the first fatal incident to have occurred at that same deli location in recent years.
