Family of former Army translator living in fear after he is gunned down at work in Pittsburg
Family of former army translator living in fear after he is gunned down at work in Pittsburg
Its been a week since Abdul Raouf Shirzad was gunned down at the Pittsburg convenience store where he worked. Since then, his wife and five small children have hardly slept and they dont want to show their faces.
PITTSBURG, Calif. - It's been a week since Abdul Raouf Shirzad was gunned down at the Pittsburg convenience store where he worked. Since then, his wife and five small children have hardly slept and they don't want to show their faces.
"Not safe at my house. Not safe, my kids in the school," says wife, Shila Shirzad.
Not safe, because at least one suspect, Gregory Rossignon, is still at large. Two others, Jessica Russo and Alan Agloro, have now been taken into custody.
Police have not released an official motive in the shooting, but loved ones believe the suspects were upset because they were asked to leave the store.
Shirzad's children, the youngest just two and a half, don't understand why their father hasn't come home.
"Every night like a trauma they have. They wake up, ‘Where is my daddy?’" says Jon Mohammed Shahabi, Shila's uncle.
Shirzad worked for nearly a decade as an Army translator in Afghanistan. His goal had been to give his family a better life.
His family doesn't believe that's what they got.
"For me here and Afghanistan, same thing. We coming here to save our children. Now we have no safety," says Shaiq Nazari, Shirzad's best friend.
Shirzad was the sole support for his family. His wife isn't sure what to do now, but she knows she can't stay in Pittsburg. She is simply too afraid.
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"Change my house. Change my kids school and help my family, my kids... because I have five kids. No job. No speak English," says Shila.
"Somewhere better. Somewhere different not like here," says Shahabi.
Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact Detective Jonathan Elmore at Pittsburg Police at 925-252-4875 or the police Tip Line at 925-252-4040.
A GoFundMe account has been set up for the family.