71-Year-Old Man Charged In Long Island Gas Station Murder: Cops

GLEN HEAD, NY – A 71-year-old man has been charged with murder in Saturday's fatal shooting at a Nassau County gas station, police said.

Lawrence Grammer is charged with second degree murder and first degree criminal use of a firearm.

According to Nassau Police, Grammer and a 35-year-old coworker "were involved in a verbal argument" that escalated around 11:22 a.m. Saturday at the Citgo gas station located 126 Glen Head Road in Glen Head.

The 35-year-old man, who police have identified as Bashir Ward of Valley Stream, was pronounced dead at the scene. A source told Patch that Ward was the father of a 6-year-old daughter and a "well-respected" mechanic at D & R Automotive, the repair shop attached to the gas station.

Grammer can be seen standing next to a D & R tow truck in this photo posted on Yelp in 2015. Grammer is also a registered sex offender. He was convicted of raping a 13-year-old girl in 1997, according to the New York State Sex Offender Registry. Grammer, who lives less than 1,000 feet from Landing Elementary School in Glen Cove, was apparently only sentenced to five years of probation.

Photo via the New York State Sex Offender Registry