A 65-year-old man fatally shot a mugger trying to rob him at knifepoint outside a Queens parking garage early Wednesday — and now authorities are trying to determine if murder charges should be filed, police said.
The shooter was cutting through a driveway that leads to a parking garage on 82nd Ave. near Queens Blvd. in Kew Gardens when the mugger confronted him and pulled a knife about 2 a.m., cops said.
When the crook demanded the gunman’s cash and cigarettes, the would-be victim turned the tables, pulling out a gun shooting the robber in the chest at least five times, according to the NYPD.
The 32-year-old mugger died at the scene. His name was not immediately released.
The shooter handed over his firearm to responding officers. He was taken in for questioning with charges against him pending.
Police sources said cops were trying to determine if he owned the gun legally. The shooter has no criminal history, police said.
The mugger had multiple arrests on his record, mostly for robbery and assault.