© New York Post/Michael DaltonA man being treated after being slashed with a machete in Hell's Kitchen.
The blow to the victim's left shoulder sends the injured man to the floor of the store, Liberty Bagel & Deli on Ninth Avenue between West 48th and 49th streets.
He clutches his shoulder as another employee rushes to his aid.
The attack happened at 11:15 Saturday morning, and by evening police were still seeking the attacker, who they say left his blade behind at the scene.
Fellow deli worker Gurpreet Singh, 30, said Saturday night that victim Sukhdev Singh, who received 8 to 10 stitches to his arm at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, remains in shock.
Doctors told him that if the blade had struck at another angle, it would have cracked his collar bone.
"He has no idea what happened or why it happened. He was standing at the counter reading and the guy, he just came out of nowhere."
Lately, "Ricardo," who often bought beer, sandwiches and soda at the deli, had been acting strange, the worker said.
"He was always drinking a beer," he said. "Day by day, he started to look like a bum." Employees often kicked him out for bringing open containers of beer into the store, he said.
"We never allowed that," Singh said. "He always had an issue because of that."
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