WTOL.com, Toledo's News Leader, News 11 | Hundreds remember murdered west Toledo carryout clerk

Hundreds remember murdered west Toledo carryout clerk

By Dick Berry - email

Posted by Nick Dutton - email 

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTOL) - Toledo police are still searching for whoever shot and killed Bassam Kanouh, a clerk at the Lewis Carryout in west Toledo. Investigators say a gunman shot the 46-year-old in the stomach during a robbery around 9:15 Thursday.

Crews found Kanouh hiding in a back room and rushed him to the hospital, where he died around midnight. The store did not have a surveillance camera.

Family members, customers and folks from the community came together Friday night for an emotional candlelight vigil to remember the clerk folks called Sam. He'd only worked at the carryout for six months, but left a lasting impression.

One customer remembered him as was very loving, cheerful and joyful. Another person said he was always willing to lend a helping hand.

Bassam Kanouh moved to Toledo from Syria in 1990 with his family. His daughter Sara wrote a heartfelt message on a card outside the store where her father was killed. She said he was a perfect man, just as she knew him. 

However, the sorrow of this night was mixed with anger. Customers and members of the community are outraged by the murder.

"The man that did this – person who did this, they're gonna go down. If not in this lifetime, in the next lifetime," said one woman.

But on Friday night, the crowd tried to forget about the killer. "Just come to pray for Sam's family. That is the most important thing that we as a community can do," said one person.

They're also giving support to Omar Smeedee, the owner of the carry-out. Despite what's happened, he has no intention to close his store.

"I thought my family was overseas. Look at all these people here. (They're) all my family," said Smeedee.

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