"My child didn't deserve to lose his life over $150": Mother struggles with loss of son Daryus Clarke after Queens smoke shop robbery
NEW YORK -- We're learning more about the 20-year-old man killed in broad daylight during an armed robbery at a Queens smoke shop Saturday.
Police are still searching for the suspects who pulled the trigger.
He was the first born, the oldest of four children and a jokester who loved rap music and video games. His distraught mother struggles to fathom the loss of her son, Daryus Clarke.
"He was very happy-go-lucky. He was bubbly. He liked to joke a lot," Kiesha Clarke said.
READ MORE: Police: Smoke shop employee killed during armed robbery in Queens
Police say around noon Saturday, Daryus Clarke was working in the Plug Smoke Shop on Jamaica Avenue and East 109th Street in Richmond Hill when three robbers walked in with a gun.
As the suspects were fleeing with $100 in cash and $50 worth of merchandise, police say they turned around and shot Clarke in the chest before getting away in a white Toyota Camry.
"This was a senseless shooting, especially over something as small as $150. My child didn't deserve to lose his life over $150, and I think the mayor needs to really pay attention to that. And whether the smoke shop was legal or illegal, these places need to still have security. These are people's lives that are being put in danger," Kiesha Clarke said.
Sunday afternoon, detectives were back at the scene, as long-time residents like Alice Campbell say many people don't feel safe there.
"I think it's really a shame. I wish the cops could do more for us in this neighborhood," she said.
Neighbors have noticed more smoke shops opening across the city, and some feel these shops have been magnets for recent crimes. A few days ago, another shop a block away was robbed, and just last month, there was a fatal shooting in Harlem's Level Up smoke shop.
"Had I known, I wouldn't have let my son work in a smoke shop. My children is my number one priority, always," Kiesha Clarke said.
Tonight, this mourning mom is remembering the last time she saw her son.
"I saw him on Friday, and as usual, he was just here. We were playing video games together, talking, laughing. We had family game night, everything was good, and he went to bed to get up for work Saturday morning," she said.
RELATED STORY: Mayor Eric Adams, District Attorney Alvin Bragg want to shut down hundreds of unlicensed Manhattan smoke shops
In February, the mayor and Manhattan district attorney said they would work to shut down hundreds of unlicensed smoke shops in Manhattan. Mayor Eric Adams told CBS2 these shops often act as a magnet for crime.
Police are still searching for those three suspects. No arrests have been made.
