BRONX, N.Y. — A Bronx man has been sentenced to 40 years to life in prison for the unprovoked killing of a bodega clerk and the wounding of the store’s owner during a shooting in Mount Eden, according to Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark.
Tykwan McLeod, 49, was convicted by a jury of second-degree murder, attempted assault in the first degree, and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Bronx Supreme Court Justice Ralph Fabrizio handed down the sentence on Monday, which also includes five years of post-release supervision.
On February 16, 2021, at approximately 8:40 p.m., McLeod entered K’s Convenient Deli at 8 East Mount Eden Avenue and shot Donte Thomas, 33, in the face without provocation, killing him instantly. Prosecutors said McLeod fired two more shots into Thomas as he fell. The defendant then attempted to flee but was confronted by the store’s owner, who was shot in the chest at close range. The owner and another employee managed to wrestle the gun away from McLeod before an off-duty NYPD Auxiliary Officer secured the weapon.
“The defendant killed a bodega worker in a completely unprovoked act,” said District Attorney Clark in a statement. “He then shot the owner of the deli, who along with another employee subdued the defendant before he could harm others.”
The case was prosecuted by Homicide Counsel Karl Miller under the supervision of Deputy Chief Burim Namani and Homicide Bureau Chief Christine Scaccia. The Bronx District Attorney’s Office credited multiple members of the NYPD, including Detective Curtis Cato and Sergeant Paul Neggersmith of the 44th Precinct, for their work on the investigation.