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Teen High-Fived Pals, Said He Hoped Rival Gang Member Died After Shooting

By Katie Honan | January 22, 2015 9:43am
 Ivan Gomez, 17, told police officers he hoped the victim died after his friend shot the victim in the back in front of this Jackson Heights deli on Dec. 22.
Ivan Gomez, 17, told police officers he hoped the victim died after his friend shot the victim in the back in front of this Jackson Heights deli on Dec. 22.
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DNAinfo/Katie Honan

JACKSON HEIGHTS — A teen high-fived his friends after a rival gang member was shot and later told police he hoped the victim died, police said.

Ivan Gomez, 17, was captured on video with two friends — who are still at large — approaching the victim and beginning to fight in front of a deli at 90th Street and 37th Avenue at 7:45 p.m. on Dec. 22, police said.

The victim was shot in the back after running away from the group, according to the NYPD.

The three suspects were seen on video high-fiving one another after shooting the victim, who was taken to Elmhurst Hospital with a collapsed lung.

Gomez, who has no criminal record, later told police he and his friends “held it down,” police said.

“We f--ked him up, I hope that motherf--ker dies,” he told officers, according to the criminal complaint.

Police sources said he was not the shooter.

Just an hour before the shooting, Gomez and his two friends robbed another man in front of the deli at 6:45 p.m., swiping his cellphone and threatening him with a gun, according to prosecutors.

Both incidents are gang-related, police said.

Gomez was arrested on Jan. 6, and was charged with attempted murder, criminal possession of a weapon and robbery for both incidents, police said.

A message left for his lawyer was not immediately returned.