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The victim survived, thanks to city firefighters and paramedics, and the gunman was arrested a block away, thanks to a Bergen County sheriff's K-9 unit.
Officers Aaron Rios and Jeffrey Rodriguez found the victim on the floor inside the Central Mini Market at the corner of 1st Street and Central Avenue around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Detective Capt. Darrin DeWitt said.
He was holding crumpled paper towels over a gunshot wound in his abdomen, he said.
“I don’t want to die. Please don’t let me die,” the victim told the officers.
City firefighters gave him oxygen and carried the victim to EMTs and paramedics who took him to Hackensack University Medical Center for emergency surgery, DeWitt said Thursday.
He was expected to survive, the captain said.
Officers recovered the gun, a .40-caliber Smith and Wesson, which the victim's brother had wrestled away from the shooter.
Another shot was fired, possibly by accident, DeWitt said.
A short time later, Bergen County Sheriff’s Officer Ryan O’Neill and K-9 Max found the accused gunman hiding behind an apartment building a block down the street.
James A. Bradley, 19, of Edgewater was arrested and charged with attempted murder and weapons offenses.
He remained held Thursday in the Bergen County Jail pending a first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack.
The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office joined Hackensack police in investigating the incident. The Bergen County Sheriff's Bureau of Criminal Identification collected evidence.
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