The day after a man with a gun barricaded himself inside Pop Shop on Westcott, the store owner is calling for more security.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Westcott Street became the scene of an active standoff between police and a man armed with a gun on Sunday night, according to Syracuse University’s Department of Public Safety. The man barricaded himself inside Pop Shop — a convenience store located at 507 Westcott St. — before being apprehended by Syracuse Police.
The store’s owner, Ali Ismail, said he was not there when it happened, but received a call from the employee who was — his brother Mohammed.
“I came and I was talking to my brother. I called him through his FaceTime,” Ismail said. “He was in the store with the guy, and I see the cameras, everything was ok, but the guy — he hide the gun under the chips shelf.”
Pop Shop, which is located within a one-minute walk of several other businesses on Westcott Street, has never had to deal with a situation like this before.
“[It’s] never happened, that before, in here,” Ismail said. “This area is a quiet area and is a nice area”
Nevertheless, in the aftermath of Sunday night, Ismail is looking for more security and help to keep crime away from his store.
“If they put him in jail, they’re gonna save a lot of troubles,” Ismail said. “But when they let him out they’re gonna do more troubles. This guy, he was walking with a gun like he was walking with a pack of cigarettes in his pocket.”
If those further troubles Ismail is alluding to become a reality, increased crime on Westcott may become something that those who live nearby — like Dan Deshon — have to deal with.
“[Increased crime] doesn’t make me any more anxious,” Deshon said. “I have no more trepidation about going anywhere because of it.”
As of Tuesday morning at 8, Syracuse Police has not yet released the identity of the man who entered Pop Shop with a gun on Sunday night.
Transcript
JOHN DALES: According to Syracuse University’s Department of Public Safety, a man holding a gun was involved in a standoff with Syracuse Police last night in the 500 block of Westcott Street around 9 pm. Before being taken into custody, the suspect barricaded himself inside Pop Shop, a convenience store whose owner wasn’t behind the counter, but his brother was.
ALI ISMAIL: I came and I was talking to my brother. I called him through his FaceTime. He was in the store with the guy, and I see the cameras, everything was ok, but the guy — he hide the gun under the chips shelf.
DALES: As you can see with cars passing behind me, this spot directly across the street from where the incident took place, is typically a pretty busy — and according to Ismail — safe neighborhood.
ISMAIL: Never happened, that before, in here. This area is a quiet area and is a nice area.
DALES: But, after last night, some safety concerns are arising.
ISMAIL: If they put him in jail, they’re gonna save a lot of troubles. But when they let him out they’re gonna do more troubles. This guy, he was walking with a gun like he was walking with a pack of cigarettes in his pocket.
DALES: And if that increased security Ismail is calling for doesn’t happen, then increased crime may just become a necessary evil for residents to deal with.
DAN DESHON: It doesn’t make me any more anxious or I have no more trepidation about going anywhere because of it.
DALES: Reporting in Syracuse, I’m John Dales, N-C-C News