The fire department washed away the blood on Williams Avenue left from the body of 29 year taxi driver Nomen Saleemi.
“When I come here it was all blocked off by police,” said Victim’s Brother, Rizwan Saleemi’s brother. “They took me to the precinct and tell me he was shot and everything. It was so shocking.”
According to police, Saleemi was robbed and shot in the head around 3:30 in the morning Friday.
His body was left on the sidewalk and his vehicle was nowhere to be found.
“This was a young man, a brother, a son, a nephew, a cousin, a good human being that his life was taken senselessly,” said spokesperson Fernando Mateo, from the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers.
The New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers is standing with the Saleemi family, a few who are drivers themselves.
The federation is offering a $5,000 reward for anyone with information about Saleemi’s death, and now they’re calling on city officials to help keep drivers safe.
“Mayor de Blasio, if you are listening to this, you better wake up and smell the coffee, pal, because you know what, this city is out of control and you need to put it in control,” said Mateo.
Saleemi’s family said he had been driving with Everywhere Car Service for the last two years.
According to the victim’s brother, Saleemi was set to start a new job at a pharmaceutical company in just two days, after his parents had asked him to leave the taxi business because they thought it was too dangerous.
His family also said he was planning his wedding.
“He was a young man, he was so polite, he was so quiet. He never had a fight,” said Rizwan.
Police say no arrests have been made and the investigation remains on going.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers hotline at 1800 577 8477