(Memphis) There’s a mystery in North Memphis involving murder and arson.
A gas station on Summer Avenue called Fuel Express has been the victim of both over the last few weeks.
The owner was first shot and killed, and now the place has been set on fire.
“I have no idea,” said Ali Hassan, who is a relative of the owner killed.
“The only person who really knows is the man who is upstairs who died and God knows,” said Gregory Haywood, who does side work for the business.
Some find it hard to believe that two events like this could happen so close together.
First, on August 25 at 8 a.m., someone comes in and shoots the clerk and owner, Yusuf Ali.
“Yusuf Ali is someone that I’ve known for five, seven years,” said Jay King, a vendor for the store. “He is just one of the kindest guys I have ever met. He had the kindest blue eyes I have ever seen on someone.”
Then this Tuesday, the landlord of the building evicted Fuel Express for not paying rent.
Two days after that, on Thursday, somebody sets the place on fire.
“Purposely? Set on fire?” asked Hassan.
The fire department says someone came inside at 4 a.m. and set multiple areas of the store on fire, including the storage room, but family and friends of Ali, and other owner, heard a different story.
“I heard they had an electric problem or the unit burned or something like that,” said Hasson.
“It’s not that,” said reporter Sabrina Hall.
“The only thing that I know is I am the one who called the fire department,” said Haywood. “I called around 4 a.m. when I saw the smoke.”
“Where were you?” asked Hall.
“In the van,” said Haywood.
“You sleep in the van?”
“Yeah. For the time being,” said Haywood. “Since the dude got killed, I have been here ever since but now the fire broke out and I don’t know what’s going on now.”
“So you were here but you didn’t see anybody go in there?” asked Hall.
“Nope. The only thing I saw was smoke,” said Haywood.
Both the police and fire department say they have no leads or suspects for the arson or murder.
If you know anything, call Crimestoppers at 528-CASH
