Frederick Emereje was the embodiment of the American dream.
He immigrated to the U.S. from Nigeria in the 1970s, attended college in Iowa and eventually moved to College Park. He married, raised three sons and started his own businesses.
The 72-year-old’s life was cut short in February. He went to work driving his taxi and was stabbed and fatally shot outside a downtown Atlanta apartment building before the suspect, his passenger, drove off in his van. Atlanta police quickly made an arrest in the case.
Siri Emereje, the victim’s oldest son, laments that the senseless killing means his father won’t get the chance to see his sons get married and have children of their own.
“He came here to pursue the American dream,” said Siri Emereje, a photographer and content creator who lives in Lithia Springs. His father used the money he made to help his family members back home. He also helped his younger relatives come to America so they could build better lives for themselves.
“He just wanted to make sure everybody was moving forward and just doing the best that they could,” Siri Emereje said. He is still processing his father’s death, but he tries to avoid feeling angry because it won’t change what happened.
“There were things he should have been able to see, like me getting married and eventually having children of my own,” he said. “He would have become a grandfather at some point and seen all three of us become successful. It’s just sad that’s not a possibility anymore.”
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