Sheikh Hamoud Saeidi (1937-2023), a good samaritan who had once saved a girl from a kidnapping, was killed by a person on a shooting spree while heading to his mosque.

Born on January 25, 1937 in Yemen, Saeidi moved to New York City in the 1970s. He worked to eventually own several bodegas and delis in the city, employing dozens. Once, when he saw a person in a van attempting to lure a small girl inside with candy and toys, he intervened. The van drove away, but Saeidi remembered the license plate and reported it to the police, who caught the suspect.

On July 8, 2023, a man on a scooter randomly shot several people, killing Saeidi and injuring three others. The 25-year-old shooter, Thomas Abreu, was later caught and arraigned on charges including murder and attempted murder. If convicted, he could face 25 years to life in prison.

Saeidi was the central figure in his family. He and his wife were married for nearly 60 years, and they had six children, 30 grandchildren, and 31 great-grandchildren. Nearly 2,000 people, including Mayor Eric Adams, filled a mosque for the funeral of this beloved member of the Yemeni community.

“This person did not kill one person only, he did not kill my father only, he killed the whole community, my whole family," his son, Main Saeidi, told the news at the time.

Council Member Lynn Schulman proposed co-naming this street, which is the site where Saeidi was killed, in his honor in 2023, and an unveiling ceremony took place on June 26, 2024.