By MATTHEW HAAG / The Dallas Morning News
Sam Ghebreyesus’ father called his son’s cellphone several times Friday night to set a time to pick him up from work at a southeast Dallas gas station and convenience store.
Each time, the phone just rang and rang.
“He never answered,” Mr. Ghebreyesus’ cousin Tesfa Kidane said.
Around 10 p.m., the father drove to the station and found a cluster of police cars. An hour earlier, police said, three men had entered Haskell Food Store, at Haskell Avenue and Dolphin Road, robbed Mr. Ghebreyesus and shot him in the chest.
People walking to the store saw the three men run in different directions, said Joe Lopez, 12, who lives in the neighborhood. The customers called 911 after finding Mr. Ghebreyesus on his back behind the cash register.
Police said they had some leads, though the two security cameras outside the store were inoperable.
“It’s a mystery at this point,” said homicide Lt. Craig Miller.
Joe, who went outside when he heard sirens at the station, saw paramedics roll Mr. Ghebreyesus out on a gurney, his arms grasping his chest.
The 26-year-old Dallas man died later at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas.
“We were friends,” Joe said.
He had met Mr. Ghebreyesus last year, and they would hang out and talk at the station. If Joe didn’t have money for a candy bar, Mr. Ghebreyesus would let him pay later.
Around noon Saturday, some of Mr. Ghebreyesus’ family arrived at the station. Yellow crime scene tape blocked the doors, but Mr. Kidane peeked through the thick black bars covering the windows.
“He was a real nice kid,” Mr. Kidane said. “Family-oriented.”
Mr. Ghebreyesus loved his family, never missing a birthday or forgetting a gift, Mr. Kidane said. He said Mr. Ghebreyesus planned to work at the gas station until he could save enough money to attend community college.
Mr. Ghebreyesus also was close to the children of another cousin, Goitom Zeru, especially Mr. Zeru’s 26-year-old son in Washington, D.C.
“He always took them around,” Mr. Zeru said. “He told them to be good and to stay in school.”
Two people pulled in front of the gas station a few minutes past noon Saturday and placed flowers on the ground below the yellow tape. Mr. Zeru, who had just made a phone call, stood with his back to the store and cried.
“I just told my son,” he said.
16 thoughts on “Man fatally shot at a Dallas convenience store”
very sad!!! may he rest in peace
I feel sorry for what has happened.Why is Ethiopian’s murder common in US?
Oh man!!!
So sad story to hear!!!!!!
I wish all Ethiopian to be safe from harm!!!!!!!!!!
It is becoming comon now to Hear Ethiopians being killed every month in convinence stores, restaurants and Gas stations. We are becoming easy targets for the retarded theives because we work hard even at a grave yard shift. As our community leaders are corrupted to take action or advocate for people to avoid those risky jobs, we have to let new comers know that they should avoid such jobs where they have to face this cold blooded murderers.
Ethiopoiawi nefse eko betam rekese. Wey zemen, we are killed back home and we are being killed here.
May he rest in peace.
What happen to our people? Pls avoid such type of job,Please discuss each other and advise your nation to familiar with the US job market to avoid resk.
Ethiopian community- what don’t give orienetation for all Ethiopian new comers? Your coordiation on this type very appricated!
Really very bad news!.. May he rest in peace
MaY R.I.P
May GOd’s peace be upon the family’s.
Please bro and sisters try not to work where money is involved if its possible. i known we can die anyplace at anytime, but we should not take a risk. May GOd keep us from evil.
I am very sorry !
For the reast of US learn from this, and try to be safe as much as possible.
Help OUR community to be strong and take action aganist this type of worst thing.
God bless us.
That’s why it’s not a very smart to work at gas station or small store like this one where a bad guy can walk in rob you and kill you.The killer could careless what your name is and where you came from.If this store located inside a mall there’s no way this could take place b/c they have security and cameras and a lot of people shopping.Even if I were armed I wouldn’t work in such place where I have to shoot and fight just to make a living and pay my bills.
May God keep his soul in heaven. My condolences to all of his families, friends and Joe too.
Long time ago a friend of us was working as a security guard for a major bank. The well armed robber came in for the cash and our friend was confronting him at the door. Our friend was not armed but able to stop the robber. When everything settled, the institution reprimanded our friend. They did not appreciate what the Ethiopian had done to save the money. It meant to say money is replaceable but life. Do not put yourself in danger.
Also few years ago another Ethiopian gas station attendant who just arrived from Russia confronted a robber at gas station and hit by a crow bar and his head was split and was brain dead.
He was taken to a hospital and he passed away. The robber had never been caught or apprehended.
He was a master student and planning to get his terminal degree; he was new to the culture and the country.
It seemed to me many of us when we come to a foreign country we still have the attitude from home about thieves in back home. Most of the time thieves are punished by citizens in public but not so in America. Most robbers come to rob well prepared and armed. It is not as what we used to know back in Africa.
Communities, families and friends who clearly understand the
conditions of robbery in America must give clear information to new comers and young people to avoid such catastrophic situation as much as possible.
Sometimes people kill for a mere $20.00 or even $5.00 notes
An American college student who did not have five dollars
in his pocket was killed for not giving a mugger what he
demanded. He was a sophomore in one of IV leagues.
It is very heartbreaking news to hear that such a youthful man passed away at such an age. May he rest in peace. My condolences to his parents and families.
Avoid and never confront robbers; give them whatever they want to take away and try to minimize loss of humans and save lives.
May His Soul Rest in Peace!
I was working as a security guard during the my first year in US. Around 1 am, while I was doing my round, I saw a man trying to open the company’s truck. I confronted him and send him out. A night shift worker was in her car next to the truck and she ducked down when she saw the thief. She heard our argument and later reported to my supervisor. Guess what? I was repremanded for doing my job. I was told that I put the lady in danger. I couldn’t believe it at that time. They told me my only duty is to hide, call 911 and give a discription of the person. That time of night; with the difficulty of identifying foreign faces and with language problem to give a good discription, I didn’t know how it works. Thank God, I didn’t have to stay in this senseless job.
Instinct force us to do what we are trined to do, which is the right thing to do. Here, it doesn’t work. When you see a guy breaking your car, you should nicely tell him he is welcome to break you other car too. If he comes to your store to rob, you should ask him if he needed a help to carry the stuff to his car.
If I have a moment to think, I would try to do what is expected of me here (walk away). If it is sudden, I am afraid, I would try to resist and pray I will get away safely. I don’t know how the whole population is not criminal with this culture of non resistance.
This is the sad part of thieves in America. They steal and kill. Back in Africa, if a thief gets the money, he takes it and walk away. Her they take the money and also kill even the poor individuals working at gas stations to make ends meet. Thieves in America are not only mere thieves but bloody thristy cruel individuals, who do not get satisfied by taking money alone, most of the time they take their robbing victims lives too.
Well, what else can I say other than, “welcome to savor the souring American dream?” ( whatever , they said , it was supposed to look like) . In the face of countless, senseless & unatural deaths be they homicides, preventable accidents & suicides, If a society loses its sense of outrage, murderous criminals have no reason to stop killing innocent people.
There is also this thinly veiled double standard at work —- and it is so apparent—- who kills who does immensely matter to them.