A Chinese food restaurant owner was shot and killed shortly after leaving the business with his wife, according to the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office.

Authorities say that 29-year-old Rui Zhou was making the last food delivery from Ming’s Kitchen with his wife when someone opened fire on their white SUV. The shooting happened just before 1 a.m. Thursday on 34th Street. The SUV crashed a short distance away.

Zhou was pronounced dead at the hospital. His wife was not injured.

Investigators have not said if the shooting was the result of an attempted robbery or if Zhou was targeted.

Zhou and his family lived above the restaurant. Neighbors tell News 12 New Jersey that Zhou and his wife have two young children.

“Good neighbors…just normal people making money, working hard. It’s sad,” says one neighbor.

Business owners in the area say that they know that the area can be rough at times. One man, who asked not to be identified, says that he gave up his delivery job years ago because he feared something like this would happen.

“I think that this area is not good, so I stopped doing it. I don’t want to do it anymore,” the former deliveryman says.

The Passaic County Prosecutor's Office asks anyone with information to call 1-877-370-PCPO or contact the Paterson Police Detective Bureau at 973-321-1120.