The family of 75-year-old Albert Itzkowitz is renewing its plea for information, more than a month after he was found shot to death in a popular Queens park in the middle of the afternoon. Officials announced a new Crime Stoppers reward, and the family is matching it, bringing the total reward to $20,000 for information leading to an arrest. Itzkowitz was found dead on May 18 near the lake in Kissena Park in Flushing. Police said he had been shot in the back and the neck at about 3 p.m. According to the family, there was no sign of a robbery because his wallet was with him when he was found. His son, Tzvi Yonie Itzkowitz, said the family needs answers. “It’s hard to believe it’s been 38 days since my dad was taken from us in broad daylight,” he said. “We are desperate for answers and have found ourselves in emotional limbo over the past month.” Elected officials joined Itzkowitz’s family Thursday as they called on the public to help police with the case. Assemblymember Nily Rozic said the family deserves to know who is responsible. “Mr. Itzkowitz should have been able to enjoy a peaceful afternoon in one of our community’s treasured spaces,” she said. “But instead, his family has now spent weeks mourning an unimaginable loss and is still waiting for answers.” His daughter, Leah Livshitz, remembered her father as a devoted family man and community member. “Daddy had a sense of humor that could light up any room. He was a volunteer EMT who spent countless hours responding when people needed help day or night,” she said. Family members said Itzkowitz had five children and 21 grandchildren. They described him as loving and caring, adding that he previously owned a kosher bakery and was well known in the neighborhood. Livshitz said she believes bias played a role. “Daddy was visibly Jewish. He was targeted in broad daylight. He was killed in a public park where he should have been safe. The city cannot treat this as just another case file,” she said. The NYPD has said its investigation is ongoing. State Sen. John Liu appealed to the public for help. “We need the public to say something because somebody must have seen something and heard something,” Liu said. “Lots of people come to this park.” Despite the unsolved killing, Margo Eisenberg of Fresh Meadows said the crime doesn’t appear to have kept people away. “I see families picnicking,” Eisenberg said. “I don’t think this is gonna deter anyone.” Officials are urging anyone with information to help investigators. Call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-577-TIPS or submit tips online. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC New York. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC New York journalist edited the article for publication. ...read more read less