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LI Mall Shooting Suspect Was Allegedly Trying To Steal $18K Rolex
By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 24, 2015
Modified Jul 24, 2017
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By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 24, 2015
Modified Jul 24, 2017
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The man accused of shooting a worker at the Roosevelt Field mall on Tuesday is being held on $750,000 bail. Oliver Lee, a 21-year-old Queens resident, was charged with robbery, assault and weapons charges.
Lee was allegedly trying to steal a $18,000 Rolex from the Tourneau store—WABC 7 reports he was "flashing a gun and demanding watches from the clerk"— when he was stopped by a security guard, Kenneth Krug. During the struggle, a shot was fired from Lee's handgun, hitting a 67-year-old mall worker who suffered minor injuries.
Authorities say that Krug managed to jam the gun and prevent others from being hurt. Krug, who is a retired NYPD sergeant, was described as a hero by acting Nassau County Police Commissioner Thomas Krumpter: "Think about a violent struggle for 90 seconds over life and death, and that’s what it was about. The defendant was trying to gain control of his firearm while the store security was attempting to safeguard the weapon.”
Other security guards help contain Lee until the police arrested him. Once he was in custody, police found 10 Oxycodone pills.
The suspect was described as a loner; neighbors of Lee's parents (he lives at home) told the Daily News: "Doesn’t have a car. Doesn’t have a girlfriend. He said he wasn’t going to school or working.”
Lee apparently posted a photograph of the handgun to his Facebook page earlier in the week. Krumpter said, "The gun was purchased I believe about 11 years ago down South."
Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano said that the public should be alert when they look at their Facebook and other social media pages, "If you see something that is not right or alarms you, you could simply take a screenshot of that and send it right to the Crime Stoppers app."
Tagged
attempted robbery
long island
oliver lee
robbery
roosevelt field mall
shooting
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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