Business owners in Westport are expressing concerns for their safety after a jewelry store owner was gunned down earlier this week.

Police say on Thursday, 65-year-old Yekutiel Zeevi, the owner of YZ Jewelers, was shot and killed inside his store that he'd been running for the past 30 years. Zeevi's associate was critically injured in the shooting.

People who own businesses nearby say a lot has changed since Zeevi's murder in the community that was once believed to be safe.

"Unfortunately, this incident, this horrible murder, has brought it to the forefront of our mind and we do think about it," says Lida Ghiorzi, who also owns a jewelry store.

Security businesses and insurance companies advise store owners to establish a code word among employees to signal suspicious activity, hire a police officer for security during extended holiday business hours, avoid closing the shop alone, and check that all the security cameras are working properly.

The Zeevi family says services for the slain jeweler will be held tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. at Temple Israel in Westport. He then will be laid to rest at Temple Israel Cemetery in Norwalk.

So far, no arrests have been made Zeevi's murder.