Gunman opens fire on Queens deli worker with assault rifle

A death-defying deli owner dodged multiple bullets when a deranged gunman opened fire with two weapons, including an assault rifle, in a point-blank caught-oncamera Queens shooting.

Video acquired by the Daily News shows the suspect, identified by police as 35-yearold Donnie Hudson, marching into the Rockaway Express Deli in South Ozone Park with his .40-caliber pistol drawn on Wednesday afternoon and blasting away as his target dove for cover behind the counter.

“An angel said ‘Not today,’ ” said J.R. Rivera, a friend of the fortunate victim. “I would have never thought this would happen, you can take that to the bank.”

Hudson fired twice from close range at the 47-year old deli co-owner, who screamed and ducked behind the counter as blood trickled from a graze wound on his head, the video showed. Hudson, dressed all in black, stormed from the store before returning moments later with an AR-15 assault rifle, cops said.

He lifted the weapon over the counter and unleashed a barrage of bullets as the deli worker, still screaming, cowered behind the counter around 2:30 p.m., the video showed.

A store employee said Hudson, who then turned and exited, was a regular customer who lived upstairs from the Rockaway Blvd. business.

The shooting was a result of a long-standing beef between the two men, police sources said.

“Thank God he survived,” said the co-owner’s nephew Methanad Keld to The News. “(The shooter) didn’t steal nothing, not even a bottle of water. There was no reason behind this ... I could never have predicted this. Nobody could expect this.”

At least three other people were in the deli when the gunman arrived, with all bolting to the back of the store once the shooting started, surveillance video shows. The deli owner and a 27-year-old second victim shot in the wrist were taken to Jamaica Hospital with minor injuries, according to police.

Hudson was arrested about 6:50 p.m. Wednesday and and charged with attempted murder, assault and multiple counts of criminal possession of a weapon, prosecutors said.

Besides the handgun and the assault rifle, authorities said Hudson possessed several magazines containing .223-caliber rounds. One of those magazines held 85 rounds, another held 44 rounds, and a third held 18 rounds. Hudson also had four loose .223 caliber rounds.

At arraignment Thursday in Queens Criminal Court, Hudson was ordered held without bail. He faces a sentence of up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

The nephew said the suspect was originally from Tennessee and lived in a homeless shelter across the street before landing his own apartment upstairs from the store.

“He was quiet and friendly, never showed any sign of this,” said Methanad Keld. “He never bothered anybody. He was a regular customer, came in every day for beer and sandwiches.”

Along with a graze wound to his head, the victim also suffered a graze wound to his wrist that will require surgery to repair, the Queens District Attorney’s Office said.

While the victim remained hospitalized with his injuries, his friend Andrew Fernandez remained shocked by the attack.

“I hope he goes to jail and don’t come back,” said Fernandez. “Put him in jail for life.”