By ANDREW COEN
as he was about to close up shop and head back to his home in Jamaica, Queens, detectives said.
Nassau County homicide investigators were still searching for the killer or killers, as well as a possible motive for the shooting, as of press time on Tuesday.
The victim, identified as 27-year-old Collin Thomas, a salesman at Universal Auto World, at 711 Burnside Ave. in North Lawrence, was shot once in the back as he was preparing to close up just before 9 p.m. last Thursday, according to the Nassau County Homicide Squad.
Thomas was still alive after he was shot, and groaned loudly as he was being loaded into an ambulance, according to John Artusa, who lives just east of the dealership on Burnside Avenue. Thomas was pronounced dead after being rushed to Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre.
Detectives said that Thomas was preparing to help other Universal Auto World employees close the dealership for the night when he was shot in the parking lot in front of the building. Detectives cordoned off the area with crime-scene tape for hours as they searched for clues.
A police spokesman said that homicide detectives are in the early stages of the investigation and are considering all angles and possible reasons for the shooting, including whether it was a robbery or a personal dispute between the victim and the gunman. Officials would not say whether there were any witnesses or whether they had any leads on who may have killed Thomas. Authorities also said they were unsure whether the gunman fled the scene by foot or in a vehicle.
The shooting shocked Artusa, who said that since Universal Auto World took over the property less than a year ago, replacing a vacant lot, there had been no problems or disturbances. He said the location had been the site of many car businesses over the years, including the original Five Towns Nissan before that business moved to its current location at 600 Burnside Ave.
³Everything has always been quiet around here,² Artusa said the morning after the shooting as he stood in front of his home. ³[The shooting] was a big surprise.²
Officials at Universal Auto World issued a statement saying, ³Collin was an upstanding individual and will be missed,² but declined further comment on the murder of their employee. Thomas¹s family could not be reached for comment.
Artusa said that Universal Auto World usually closes between 7 and 8 p.m., but it sometimes stays open until 9 when it¹s busy. He said the business has been nothing but a good neighbor since moving across the street from his home last year. ³We have never had any problems with them,² Artusa said.
Nassau County police are asking anyone with any information on the shooting to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 244-TIPS. All callers will remain anonymous.
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