Inset: Alaa Ghnimat. Background: Driveway in Lombard, Illinois, where he was murdered (WLS/YouTube)
A family is in mourning after a 38-year-old father of three was shot and killed in the driveway of his Illinois home on Monday night.
The DuPage County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release that officers responded to a shooting at a home near 16th and Meyers Road in Lombard and found a 38-year-old man shot to death in a car parked in the driveway. The coroner took custody of the body and the vehicle was towed for processing.
Family members identified the victim to Chicago ABC affiliate WLS and WGN as Alaa Ghnimat. The victim was on the phone with his teenage son as he was coming home.
“He turned off the car, and I was just talking with him,” the son told WLS. “He was laughing, and then I just heard, I thought it was firecrackers. But, I go outside to check on him, and I see that. I told my mom to go inside, and I tried to call the police as fast as I can.”
Cops have not made an arrest in the case.
“The DuPage County Sheriff’s Office extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of the victim and is committed to uncovering the circumstances surrounding this tragic event,” spokesman Michael Cirolia said in a statement.
The family is left wondering why someone would want to kill their loved one. He moved to the Chicago area from Palestine nearly 20 years ago.
“It feels like you’re dreaming. It doesn’t feel like it’s real life,” another family member told WGN. “And just the shock that his kids had to go through when they seen him in the car and his wife — that kills me even more.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office Detective line (630) 407-2343
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