Police are investigating whether six gas station stick-ups in the past eight days in Gwinnett and DeKalb counties – one of which resulted in an owner's shooting -- are the work of the same man, Channel 2 Action News reported.
An armed assailant shot Shirazali Kassam, 64, Monday morning at his gas station at 4250 Buford Highway in DeKalb County, police said. Kassam was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he has been recuperating from his wound.
Police suspect whoever shot Kassam may have committed five other robberies in Gwinnett – at 2380 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard on May 1, 310 Peachtree Industrial on May 3, 1945 Buford Drive on May 4, on Hamilton Mill Road on Sunday, and at 1132 Buford Highway on Tuesday.
Another robbery victim, Golam Mostafa, told Channel 2 that a man dressed in black came into his Suwanee gas station on Peachtree Industrial about 10 p.m. May 3.
“One guy come, he showed the gun here,” Mostafa said. He said he told the man, “Oh please don't kill me, don't kill me. … I said, ‘You take the money from here' … [He said], ‘No, just give me the money. Hurry up! Hurry up!' ”
The bandit took the money and ran away, Mostafa said.
Gwinnett County police Cpl. Edwin Ritter told Channel 2, “Right now we are in the middle of the investigation. We are contacting and speaking with all the clerks who were involved, [and] we are looking at video.
“Our investigators have at least three people of interest. Either one of them could be the person or may not be,” Ritter said.
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