http://www.bostonherald.com/news/local_regional/conv10232000.htm
Teen shooting victim came to U.S. for `better life'
by Franci Richardson
Monday, October 23, 2000
In an early morning convenience-store robbery, two masked men yesterday shot to death a young man whose recently widowed mother sent him to Lowell from Jordan to find ``a better life,'' family and police said.
State and Lowell police confer yesterday outside Aladdin Convenience Plus, where 19-year-old store clerk Aladdin Al-taher was shot to death during a robbery early Sunday morning. (Staff photo by
Matthew West)
``Al was the greatest,'' Debra Jenks of Chelmsford said about her slain 19-year-old brother-in-law, Aladdin Al-taher of Nashua, N.H. ``His mother sent him to have a better life . . . and they took (it) from him like this. This is a tragedy. It's very sad.''
Al-taher, or ``Al'' as the locals called him, was the night-shift cashier at the Aladdin Convenience Plus store on Middlesex Street, owned by his brother Armer, when two men came in at about 4 a.m. and shot him to death in what police say was a robbery.
``The motive for the shooting is definitely robbery,'' said Superintendent Edward F. Davis III.
Police declined to say how much cash, if any, was taken from the register of the store, which Armer had named for his younger brother.
Police received an emergency call from a customer who came in and discovered Al-taher ``down and bleeding'' behind the store counter, Davis said.
He had been shot in the head, according to David.
Six hours later, the teenager was pronounced dead at Lowell General Hospital, making him Lowell's fourth homicide victim this year.
Police say the men used a revolver in the shooting, but are awaiting autopsy results from the medical examiner's officer to determine the caliber of the gun.
Davis said the two men were the only ones in the store during the shooting, but declined to say whether Al-taher put up a struggle. He did not release any description of the men, other than to say they were wearing masks.
A surveillance tape from the store has ``revealed information that is very helpful to the investigation'' and is being viewed for more clues, Davis said.
Police are looking to interview two male customers - not believed to be suspects - who had entered and left the store separately just before the attack in hopes of getting what they think could turn out to be critical information, Davis said.
One man entered the store to ask directions a half hour before the shooting. Another man was in the store six minutes before the incident.
``This is a popular convenience store on a well-traveled, main thoroughfare through our community,'' Davis said.
``Based on the amount of foot traffic we know that this store sees, we have no doubt there were some people in the area, possibly just prior to this unfortunate incident.''
First Assistant District Attorney John McEvoy also appealed to the public to come forward with information.
``If anybody has seen anything at all, we really would appreciate a call,'' he said.
Al-taher joined his three brothers in Nashua two years ago, leaving his brother, sister, mother and father in Jordan.
His father succumbed to cancer six months ago and an uncle died just three months ago, friends said yesterday.
A family friend who would only identify himself as Khalid said he last saw Al-taher Friday night at the Islamic Society Mosque in Chelmsford during prayer.
``He was a very, very quiet person,'' Khalid said.
``Can you imagine what his poor mother is going through?''
Al-taher had just gotten his driver's license. A friend described his red Camaro - still parked in front of the convenience store yesterday afternoon - as the mild-mannered young man's ``pride and joy.''
``He always said that he wanted to put a V8 (engine) in his car. That was his big goal,'' said Joe Abshire, manager of a nearby laundromat who had worked with Armer before he opened the store.
``I have never heard him raise his voice. I never, ever heard the kid have one bad word to say.''
His sister-in-law, Debra Jenks, said he had planned to return to school.
``Al was such a great kid. This is so sad,'' she said.
The men who gunned down Al-taher may also be suspects in a string of recent robberies, Davis said.
Last week, two men robbed a Dunkin' Donuts just down the street from the convenience store, and police say there was another heist on Route 38, but declined to elaborate.
Local business owners and customers said they were surprised and saddened by Al-taher's killing, but still feel that the Highlands neighborhood is safe.
``There's nothing to be scared,'' said Kiran Shah, an Indian man who has owned the neighboring East West Foods for 12 years.
``These things happen. We just have to be more cautious.''
Shah said he learned of the shooting early this morning when he saw the yellow tape around the store.
``Everything was blocked (with yellow tape). I thought it was a marathon going on, but there was no marathon. This is very shocking,'' he said.
Abshire was outraged that police hadn't alerted locals to the previous week's crimes.
``If these incidents are happening, how come we don't know about them? Why didn't they send around a bulletin so we could be on guard?'' said Abshire of St. Hilaire's Laundromat, located across the street from the convenience store.
"This should never have happened.''
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
BTW, the chief of Police has made it mpossible for citizens in Lowell, MA to get a CCW permit.
------------------
~USP
"[Even if there would be] few tears shed if and when the Second Amendment is held to guarantee nothing more than the state National Guard, this would simply show that the Founders were right when they feared that some future generation might wish to abandon liberties that they considered essential, and so sought to protect those liberties in a Bill of Rights. We may tolerate the abridgement of property rights and the elimination of a right to bear arms; but we should not pretend that these are not reductions of rights." -- Justice Scalia 1998
Teen shooting victim came to U.S. for `better life'
by Franci Richardson
Monday, October 23, 2000
In an early morning convenience-store robbery, two masked men yesterday shot to death a young man whose recently widowed mother sent him to Lowell from Jordan to find ``a better life,'' family and police said.
State and Lowell police confer yesterday outside Aladdin Convenience Plus, where 19-year-old store clerk Aladdin Al-taher was shot to death during a robbery early Sunday morning. (Staff photo by
Matthew West)
``Al was the greatest,'' Debra Jenks of Chelmsford said about her slain 19-year-old brother-in-law, Aladdin Al-taher of Nashua, N.H. ``His mother sent him to have a better life . . . and they took (it) from him like this. This is a tragedy. It's very sad.''
Al-taher, or ``Al'' as the locals called him, was the night-shift cashier at the Aladdin Convenience Plus store on Middlesex Street, owned by his brother Armer, when two men came in at about 4 a.m. and shot him to death in what police say was a robbery.
``The motive for the shooting is definitely robbery,'' said Superintendent Edward F. Davis III.
Police declined to say how much cash, if any, was taken from the register of the store, which Armer had named for his younger brother.
Police received an emergency call from a customer who came in and discovered Al-taher ``down and bleeding'' behind the store counter, Davis said.
He had been shot in the head, according to David.
Six hours later, the teenager was pronounced dead at Lowell General Hospital, making him Lowell's fourth homicide victim this year.
Police say the men used a revolver in the shooting, but are awaiting autopsy results from the medical examiner's officer to determine the caliber of the gun.
Davis said the two men were the only ones in the store during the shooting, but declined to say whether Al-taher put up a struggle. He did not release any description of the men, other than to say they were wearing masks.
A surveillance tape from the store has ``revealed information that is very helpful to the investigation'' and is being viewed for more clues, Davis said.
Police are looking to interview two male customers - not believed to be suspects - who had entered and left the store separately just before the attack in hopes of getting what they think could turn out to be critical information, Davis said.
One man entered the store to ask directions a half hour before the shooting. Another man was in the store six minutes before the incident.
``This is a popular convenience store on a well-traveled, main thoroughfare through our community,'' Davis said.
``Based on the amount of foot traffic we know that this store sees, we have no doubt there were some people in the area, possibly just prior to this unfortunate incident.''
First Assistant District Attorney John McEvoy also appealed to the public to come forward with information.
``If anybody has seen anything at all, we really would appreciate a call,'' he said.
Al-taher joined his three brothers in Nashua two years ago, leaving his brother, sister, mother and father in Jordan.
His father succumbed to cancer six months ago and an uncle died just three months ago, friends said yesterday.
A family friend who would only identify himself as Khalid said he last saw Al-taher Friday night at the Islamic Society Mosque in Chelmsford during prayer.
``He was a very, very quiet person,'' Khalid said.
``Can you imagine what his poor mother is going through?''
Al-taher had just gotten his driver's license. A friend described his red Camaro - still parked in front of the convenience store yesterday afternoon - as the mild-mannered young man's ``pride and joy.''
``He always said that he wanted to put a V8 (engine) in his car. That was his big goal,'' said Joe Abshire, manager of a nearby laundromat who had worked with Armer before he opened the store.
``I have never heard him raise his voice. I never, ever heard the kid have one bad word to say.''
His sister-in-law, Debra Jenks, said he had planned to return to school.
``Al was such a great kid. This is so sad,'' she said.
The men who gunned down Al-taher may also be suspects in a string of recent robberies, Davis said.
Last week, two men robbed a Dunkin' Donuts just down the street from the convenience store, and police say there was another heist on Route 38, but declined to elaborate.
Local business owners and customers said they were surprised and saddened by Al-taher's killing, but still feel that the Highlands neighborhood is safe.
``There's nothing to be scared,'' said Kiran Shah, an Indian man who has owned the neighboring East West Foods for 12 years.
``These things happen. We just have to be more cautious.''
Shah said he learned of the shooting early this morning when he saw the yellow tape around the store.
``Everything was blocked (with yellow tape). I thought it was a marathon going on, but there was no marathon. This is very shocking,'' he said.
Abshire was outraged that police hadn't alerted locals to the previous week's crimes.
``If these incidents are happening, how come we don't know about them? Why didn't they send around a bulletin so we could be on guard?'' said Abshire of St. Hilaire's Laundromat, located across the street from the convenience store.
"This should never have happened.''
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
BTW, the chief of Police has made it mpossible for citizens in Lowell, MA to get a CCW permit.
------------------
~USP
"[Even if there would be] few tears shed if and when the Second Amendment is held to guarantee nothing more than the state National Guard, this would simply show that the Founders were right when they feared that some future generation might wish to abandon liberties that they considered essential, and so sought to protect those liberties in a Bill of Rights. We may tolerate the abridgement of property rights and the elimination of a right to bear arms; but we should not pretend that these are not reductions of rights." -- Justice Scalia 1998