The argument escalated and eventually turned violent when the suspect allegedly stabbed Mohammad in the chest and slashed Abed in the arm when he tried to intervene.
The suspect, whose identity is not yet known, fled the store after the attack around 8 a.m. Thursday, the business owners said.
“I heard screaming, so I went outside to see one of the bakery owners outside holding his arm. His arm was bleeding,” a witness named Samer told CBS News. “Surprised everybody because they’re very nice people.”
Moneer Simrin, a friend of the victims, told the outlet that the alleged attacker claimed to be allergic to eggplant and became ill after eating it.
They told him, ‘OK, we’ll give you the money, we’ll give you credit, whatever you want,’ but he start acting and cursing,” Simrin said. “And then they try to tell him, ‘OK, just get out, please, get out from the store,’ and he pulled a knife and he started, like, hitting them.”
Paterson Mayor André Sayegh was in the city’s Main Street business district speaking to residents and shopkeepers on Friday, while the bakery was closed as the brothers recovered.
“They’re concerned. This type of thing does not happen in that area, so I tried to assuage some of the fears, allay their concerns and reassure them that the police department is completely focused on bringing whomever is responsible for this tragic, violent incident to justice,” he said.
Cops have not yet released a description of the suspect.