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Store clerk killed while on Facetime with wife
A Leesburg store clerk was killed by an armed robber. He was a father of five and a husband. During the incident, he was on Facetime with his wife discussing the details of their daughter's 16th birthday.
Leesburg, Fla. - The family of the man shot and killed in a convenience store robbery is begging people to come forward with answers.
"Why? Why? When he would have given whoever it was - he would have given them whatever they wanted," said Monique Shihadeh through tears, "Why was it necessary to take his life?"
It's a question that haunts the family of 51-year-old Raied Shihadeh.
He co-owned the M&M Food Mart off Picciola Road in Leesburg. Shihadeh was working there Thursday night when a man ran in, shot him, and then robbed the store.
"All of a sudden, I saw panic on his face. I heard him scream, ‘No!’. I started immediately screaming," said Monique Shihadeh.
His wife - Monique - says she was on the Facetime with him during the shooting. She says she called 9-1-1.
It was also their youngest daughter's 16th birthday.
The father of 5 split time between their home in Port St. Lucie and Leesburg working at the store.
"I didn't even want to open the store today. I wanted to stay home, but I'll go crazy," said Adel Abdullah.
Adel Abdullah co-owns the store and says they'd only had it for about nine months.
He says the suspect got away with between 40 to 100 dollars – but took much more.
"My best friend. More like a brother, really," said Abdullah.
Customers who stopped by Friday say Shihadeh made everyone feel like family.
"Just hate to lose good people," said Derrick Anderson, " For no reason at all."
Monique Shihadeh says the family wants Raied remembered as a loving husband and devoted father.
She says justice is the only thing that can help ease her pain right now.
"We want our family back. I want my husband back. That can't be given to me, but the biggest reward that could be given to me is catching the person that took him from us," said Shihadeh.
Leesburg Police are asking anyone who was in the area shortly before or after 9:00 PM to contact them.