Tuesday's armed standoff with police began with a masked man who attempted to rob two customers.
Syracuse, NY – The armed standoff that paralyzed a portion of South Avenue on Tuesday afternoon started when a man masked by a bandanna tried to rob two customers at a soul and fast-food restaurant, the eatery’s owner said.
Omanii Abdullah, owner of Omanii’s Lemonade Heaven, said he had left his restaurant at 1206 South Ave. just before the incident occurred about 11:30 a.m., but was given an account later by his daughter, Sumiya Abdullah, who was working the counter, and his cook, Anthony Corderro.
The robber walked in but instead of walking up to the counter approached two patrons in the seating area in an alcove to the side of the counter, Abdullah said.
“He told them to pull everything out of their pockets and put it on the table,” Abdullah said.
A woman standing at the counter vaulted over it and told his daughter, who could not see what was going on, what had happened, Abdullah said. She told her father she crawled to a panic button and pushed it.
Abdullah said he later heard in media reports that a passing postal carrier also saw what was going on and alerted a police officer at a nearby convenience store, a factor he credited for the speedy police response.
Meanwhile, Corderro came out of the kitchen and, thinking the robber’s gun might be a toy, chased the man out of the restaurant and around the building, Abdullah said. The robber opened fire; Abdullah said he is not sure whether police were part of the chase at that point.
The gunman went back into the building, possibly into one of the building’s 16 apartments, Abdullah said.
Neither his daughter nor the cook was injured, Abdullah said.
Police spokesman Sgt. Tom Connellan declined to comment on Abdullah’s account, saying questions including the identity of the gunman will be addressed at a news conference scheduled for 10:30 a.m. at the Public Safety Building.
Abdullah said he hoped to hear soon when he will be allowed to reopen the restaurant. He and the building’s other tenants were displaced overnight as the police investigation continued. The Red Cross offered shelter at St. Lucy’s Church Hall, but no one stayed, said Richard Blansett, speaking for the disaster aid group.
Connellan said police hoped to let tenants re-enter as early as possible.