Friday evening a candlelight vigil was held for a popular store clerk who was killed outside a San Bernardino liquor store.
NBC4 learned new details about the victim who left behind a wife and a son. NBC4's Tony Shin spoke with family members wo say they want the shooter to pay the ultimate price for killing their loved one.
Outside P & J Liquor a memorial grows for Nader Alkouli. He was a 46-year-old clerk who was gunned down in front of the store.
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"He was friends with all of us and we're devastated from this," said Carol O'Neal a store customer.
O'Neal says she had been friends with Alkouli for roughly 10 years.
She says he would always help the less fortunate.
"Everybody in this community and in this neighborhood loved him," O'Neal said. "If somebody was short 10 cents of 15 he would take it out of his pocket and put it in the register."
San Bernardino police say Tuesday evening around 8 p.m. Alkouli was shot outside the store.
Alkouli's family didn't want to be interviewed on camera but his son Mike described what happened after seeing the surveillance video.
He says his father followed a man outside because the man had stolen something.
The man turned around and faced his father. Alkouli backed away when he saw a gun, but the suspect shot him in the stomach.
Witness Monica Hop was there.
"The robber used that gun on someone that we all needed," Hop said.
On Wednesday police tracked down the alleged shooter, 21-year-old William Paul Norris Jr.
Alkouli's family says he normally works the morning shift but came in on his day off to help out a fellow clerk during the night shift.
"I just pray for his loved ones and it's a tragedy," said Denise Taylor a store customer.
Family members say Alkouli emigrated from Syria to the U.S. in 2010 so he could escape the violence in that country and give his wife and son a better life.
Sadly this loving husband and father would have his life ended in a city that has a history of gun violence.
"The violence and tragedy here needs to stop in San Bernardino there's so much violence going on and hate," O'Neal said.
Norris faces several charges including murder.
Alkouli's son says he wants prosecutors to seek the death penalty.
