BRIGHTON PARK — Narendra Byrapuneni wasn’t afraid when he heard shots ring out Saturday morning while working behind the counter at a gas station in Brighton Park.
“I’ve got the bulletproof glass here,” he said. “So when I hear shots, the first thing I do is go check the cameras. I stay inside, I don’t freak out. I live in a neighborhood where I hear shots a lot, and after living in America a few years, you get used to it.”
But Byrapuneni saw something unusual when he checked the security cameras that morning — several masked officers standing in the street, one of whom opened fire on a driver a few feet from Clark Gas Station, 3947 S. Kedzie Ave., where Byrapuneni works part-time.
Federal agents were on patrol Saturday morning when they were “rammed by vehicles and boxed in by 10 cars” in the 3900 block of South Kedzie Avenue, according to Assistant Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin and Chicago police.
The agents left one of their cars and one agent opened fire at a driver who was driving at him, according to McLaughlin and federal charging documents.
The driver, 30-year-old Marimar Martinez, was struck by the gunfire and managed to drive away from the scene but was discovered at a nearby auto repair shop. She was brought by paramedics to Mount Sinai Hospital where she was treated and released, according to the Sun-Times. Martinez and a Chicago man face charges for allegedly hitting Border Patrol cars, the Justice Department announced.
The shooting caused a standoff between police and protesters, who had gathered at the scene near Clark Gas Station. Like others before, the standoff turned violent, with federal agents deploying tear gas and other non-lethal weapons at the crowd who were antagonizing the agents.
That’s when Byrapuneni sprung into action — a move that has earned him accolades on social media.
Soon after the shooting, red and yellow tape had been hastily strung up around the scene, Byrapuneni said.
Dozens of federal officers and Chicago police arrived at the scene as crowds of neighbors and protesters began to coalesce at the intersection of 39th Place and South Kedzie Avenue.
Federal officers deployed tear gas and shot pepper balls at protesters who gathered to condemn Saturday’s shooting, according to reports. Police officers dispatched to the scene were seen wincing from exposure to the chemical irritant in a viral X post.
It was a little before noon Saturday when protesters and neighbors alike began to pour into the gas station, suffering from exposure to the gas, Byrapuneni said.
Without second thought, the 29-year-old information technology specialist passed out gallons of milk, cases of water, paper towels and toilet paper to protesters.
“Many of them were burning up in the face from the tear gas and pepper balls,” he said. “I can’t ask for payment. How are they gonna pay when their face is burning? You see people in trouble and you have to help them out. I didn’t care about the money, and the owner doesn’t either.”
A Facebook post celebrated the Brighton Park gas station worker’s generosity on Saturday.
“BRIGHTON PARK, LETS GIVE A HUGE RECOGNITION TO THE CLARK GAS STATION EMPLOYEE,” the post read. “Because he truly deserves recognition and a lot of respect for distributing gallons of milk, boxes of water, paper towels and toilet paper to help those who were sprayed with pepper gas and tear gas! That man could have closed the doors and stayed inside, but NO, HE HELPED OUR COMMUNITY!!!! ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL!”
Byrapuneni had only been working at Clark for a little over a month when Saturday’s events transpired.
“This isn’t my main job,” he said while standing on his tip-toes to snag a pack of tobacco wraps for a customer. “I was working in IT in India for awhile and moved here to do the same.”
He moved to Chicago three years ago from Andhra Pradesh in Southern India and recently received am online master’s degree in IT. A family friend of Byrapuneni’s let him pick up shifts at the gas station to make some money on the side.
RELATED: Federal Agent Shoots Woman In Brighton Park, Causing Tense Scene With protesters
Having recently attained a green card, Byrapuneni said he wasn’t too concerned for his own safety when he saw border patrol agents on Saturday, but still urged that people in Brighton Park stay safe and keep an eye out for federal officers.
“You always have to watch for ICE these days,” he said. “I know I’ll be safe, but I’m worried about people around here. People are very scared.”
A live stream of the scene from the online platform Citizen shows people gathering around police-taped boundaries, protesting federal officers on the scene. People can be heard screaming “Go home ICE” and “Take your mask off.”
Video on social media shows federal agents firing tear gar at the crowds, who threw objects at cars being used by federal officers leaving the scene.
Byrapuneni smiled when he was shown the Facebook post celebrating his deeds. He said he said he wasn’t worried about being paid back for the supplies he gave out and was just thankful to be able to help neighbors.
“A few people ended up paying me back but it didn’t really matter. Money isn’t everything,” Byrapuneni said. “We have to be human.”
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