Who was Homod Saeidi? 87-year-old father of six identified as the victim killed in NYC scooter shooting spree

87-year-old Homod Saeidi has been identified as the victim who was allegedly killed by Thomas Abreu, 25. According to law enforcement officials, a 9mm pistol with an extended magazine was recovered. Apart from Homod Saeidi, three other individuals had also sustained injuries. According to the victim’s family, Saeidi’s death came as a shock to them.

The suspect currently faces charges of one count of murder, two counts of attempted murder, and six other charges. The incident took place on Saturday, July 8, 2023, in Brooklyn and Queens. One of the surviving victims, Cesar Martinez, confirmed that he was shot in the shoulder.

The shootings began when Abreu shot a 21-year-old man, and then around seventeen minutes later, Homod Saeidi was shot in the back near 108- 19 Jamaica Avenue in Queens. Shortly after these two incidents, witnesses saw a man on a scooter opening fire into a mob of people at the intersection of Jamaica Avenue and 108th Street. However, nobody was wounded. At 11.35 am local time, a 44-year-old man was shot. Minutes later, a 63-year-old man was shot at Jamaica Avenue.

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25-year-old Thomas Abreu has been arrested after he killed Homod Saeidi and injured three others in a chain of shootings

New York City witnessed a horrific string of shootings on Saturday, July 8, 2023, when a man on a scooter allegedly opened fire at random people in the morning. The suspect, identified as Thomas Abreu, ended up killing an elderly man and injuring other people in his deadly spree. The shootings began at around 11.10 am when he first shot a man, who is currently in a stable condition.

The next victim was Homod Saeidi, who was taken to the Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, and later was declared dead. Saeidi was reportedly going to the mosque to pray when he was brutally shot by the suspect. Homod Saeidi’s son Ahmed said,

“My heart is broken; my family is all devastated. We can’t believe something like that would happen to an 86-year-old man. It’s terrible.”

Ahmed further revealed that Homod Saeidi would have a regular morning run for three to four miles, after which he would go to a local park. After that, he used to head to the mosque to pray. He followed the same routine even on Saturday before being shot. The deceased victim was a father of six children and also owned several grocery stores. Saeidi was also involved in the real estate industry.

Unsettling footage has also been obtained by authorities that captured that shooting that brutally killed Homod Saeidi. The video also captured him in his blood-soaked shirt and the part where the elderly man falls on his knees. Shortly after that, a good Samaritan ran towards him to assist.

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Law enforcement officials believed that the suspect had lots of ammunition on him

Later, cops discovered that another shooting allegedly took place at around 11.36 pm at the intersection of Jamaica Avenue and 131 Street. The victim was reportedly standing there when the suspect shot him and fled. The victim, however, did not sustain injuries. According to NYPD Acting Police Commissioner Edward Caban,

“Armed with an image of the suspect as officers fanned out across Queens.”

This message reportedly meant that an image of the suspect, Thomas Abreu, was sent to every NYPD officer on the street. This helped cops from 103rd and 113th Precincts identify Abreu in Queens and take him into custody just after 1 pm local time. Caban further added,

“The 9mm pistol had an extended magazine. Given the violence, this individual was willing to carry out, I want to express my gratitude to the men and women in the NYPD.”

Cops further stated,

“This guy had a lot of ammunition on him. There were going to be other bodies dropped.”

While digging into Thomas Abreu’s background, law enforcement officials discovered that he had been arrested once before, back in 2019, and was charged with possession of a forged instrument. The heartbroken son of Homod Saeidi further revealed that they originally came from Yemen, and his father settled in the USA back in 1962 for the sake of better opportunities. He continued:

“He’s a cheerful guy. He liked to joke a lot. He has a lot of friends.”

Ahmed further revealed that the victim was expected to visit Yemen for a family trip just next week. Saeidi was buried in Spring Valley, New Jersey, and his funeral took place in Brooklyn on Monday.