AKRON, Ohio: In a tragic incident, a 21-year-old man named Ahmad Alibrahim, residing in Akron, lost his life due to a late-night shooting at a business located in the 1300 block of South Arlington Street.
The incident unfolded at approximately 11:15 p.m. on Tuesday when a 911 call from inside Border’s Drive Thru advised the 911 operator that a customer had shot the employee and he was not breathing.
When Akron police arrived at the scene, they discovered Alibrahim, who worked at the store, with a gunshot wound to his neck. Tragically, he was pronounced dead at 11:38 p.m., and the medical examiner determined that the cause of death was homicide.
According to Akron police Capt. Michael Miller, the shooting transpired when a man approached the drive-thru window on foot, intending to purchase black and mild cigars. The individual handed Alibrahim some money that was in poor condition, potentially tainted with soil or blood, which led to a dispute regarding the money’s condition. Subsequently, the suspect produced a long-barreled rifle. At this point, Alibrahim returned the cigar to the suspect and requested him to leave with it.
Before fleeing on foot, the suspect fired at least two shots through the window toward the group of employees inside the drive-thru, resulting in injuries to the 21-year-old victim. Miller explains that it is possible that others who were nearby were also injured by shattered glass.
The tragedy has left everyone grappling with the senselessness of the incident and its origins, as Miller expressed. In response, Akron police have launched an intensive investigation, with officers seen both inside and outside the business early Wednesday morning. Miller emphasized their commitment to apprehending the individual responsible, vowing to do everything in their power to bring them into custody.
“Everyone knew him at the drive-thru. I don’t know why he got killed, for some reason, I don’t know the reason,” Abdul Alibrahim said. “He (the gunman) broke my heart. That’s my best brother ever.”
The situation was made even more apparent when the victim was trying to de-escalate the situation by giving him the cigar and asking him to leave. The suspect is still on the loose. Investigators are now searching for the suspect, described as a Black man between the ages of 18 and 25 years old.