Roosevelt teen shot dead at gas station

A man was shot dead during an early evening trip to a Hempstead gas station, police said.

The slain man, James McClenic, 19, of Roosevelt, was shot in the throat about 6:20 p.m. Wednesday and died at 2:20 a.m. Thursday at Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, police said.

The shooting happened at the Citgo gas station at 711 Fulton Ave., when a still-at-large male assailant approached the vehicle and opened fire at McClenic at relatively close range, police said.

Investigators do not believe the attack was random and are looking at whether McClenic was targeted, said Det. Sgt. John DeMartinis, a supervisor of the Nassau police homicide squad, which is looking for the killer.

"At this point we do not believe it was a random act," DeMartinis said.

McClenic had been a passenger in a vehicle with two friends that drove to the gas station to refuel and make a purchase at the station's store, police said.

Martinis said detectives have made no arrests but wouldn't say whether they're eyeing any suspects.

The weapon wasn't immediately recovered, police said.

Police said McClenic is a college student but didn't say where.

No one at the Citgo was available to talk about the shooting.