NJ Store Clerk Takes 15 Bullets And Lives; Shooter Convicted

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A store clerk in North Jersey was shot 15 times and left bleeding on the floor. Somehow, he survived. Now, the man that riddled his body with bullets faces 30 years in state prison, prosecutors said.

On Tuesday, an Essex County jury convicted Gregory Bentley, 24, of Newark and Irvington, of attempted murder, robbery, aggravated assault, conspiracy and a weapons charge.

Bentley was accused of shooting a clerk at the Top Dog variety store on Clinton Avenue in Newark 15 times, sending him to the hospital for three months and putting him through several surgeries to save his life.

The 2016 shooting took place on Monday, Jan. 18. According to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, Bentley and three accomplices forced their way into the store and tried to rob the clerk and his friend at gunpoint, firing multiple shots at both of them.

Bentley eventually forced his way into the back office of the store, where he shot the clerk 15 times. Several of the shots came as the victim was lying wounded and bloody on the floor, prosecutors said.

After the shooting, Bentley was trapped in the store, which had no rear exit, and was captured on surveillance video. The clerk later identified Bentley - a regular customer – as the shooter, prosecutors said.

Bentley faces up to 30 years in New Jersey State Prison when he is sentenced on July 13, prosecutors said.

“This was a brutal attack and it was nothing short of a miracle that the victim survived 15 gunshot wounds,” Assistant Prosecutor Austin Edwards said. “We will be seeking a significant prison sentence.”

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