Police investigate New Haven's 1st homicide in 2013

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) -- A neighborhood is heartbroken after a well-known store clerk is shot dead. Police think it was a robbery gone wrong and the shooter is still out there on the loose. This is New Haven's first homicide of the year.

The shooting happened around 10:50 a.m., at Orchard Market, located at 738 Orchard St.

Upon arrival, officers located the victim, 55-year-old Abdul L. Rawas, suffering from gunshot wounds to his back and arm.

Rawas was taken by ambulance to Yale-New Haven Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Police said Rawas was a clerk at the market.

"It's killing me, it's killing me," said Bobby DuBose.

All day long DuBose stared at the scene asking himself why?

"He was so not wanting this to be this kind of neighborhood," said DuBose.

DuBose says Rawas is the last person he ever expected to be a shooting victim and neighborhood teenagers agree.

"Who would like, I don't know who would do that 'cause he was just a good guy so, I'm not sure like why would anybody do that to him," said Brandon Forbes of New Haven.

Forbes and DuBose say they looked forward to their visits with Rawas.

"I called him the store man," said Forbes.

"He tried to do the best for the neighborhood," said DuBose.

Attached are surveillance photos that show the suspect in this incident.

The investigation is ongoing.