Manhattan convenience store employee shot during robbery; suspect at large

A 25‑year‑old employee was shot in the buttocks during an attempted robbery at the Wholesome Organic Convenience store on Rivington Street in Manhattan's Lower East Side shortly after 1:22 a.m. on Thursday. Emergency services transported the victim to Bellevue Hospital, where he remained in stable condition.

New York Police Department officers are searching for the gunman, who fled the scene. United Bodegas of America (UBA) has offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the suspect’s capture and called for tougher policing measures, including the reinstatement of stop‑and‑frisk. The store is part of a city‑funded pilot program that installed panic‑button devices in 500 bodegas, costing about $1.2 million, to allow workers to summon help silently.

The incident occurs as New York reports a historic decline in gun‑related violence, though officials stress the need for continued security improvements for small retailers.