Ayub Ali, a 61-year-old store owner from Pompano Beach, FL, was tragically shot and killed during a robbery at his convenience store, Aunt Molly’s Food Store, on July 17, 2018. Surveillance footage revealed that a man entered the store, confronted Ali at the cash register, and forced him to the back office. The suspect initially took money from the register and left the store, only to return shortly after and fatally shoot Ali. Ali was transported to Broward Health Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The Broward County Sheriff's Office released the surveillance video to the public, seeking assistance in identifying the suspect. The footage showed the suspect wearing a black vest, striped red shorts, and red slides. The suspect was later identified as Tyrone Fields Jr., a 19-year-old resident of Deerfield Beach. Fields was arrested after a friend persuaded him to turn himself in. He was charged with murder while engaged in a felony offense and robbery with a firearm. Fields is being held without bail.
Ali's death was particularly heartbreaking as he was the father of four children, two of whom survived the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, FL, earlier that year. The community mourned his loss, and a makeshift memorial was set up outside his store. Friends and family remembered Ali as a kind and hardworking individual who had moved to Florida from Bangladesh in the 1990s.
The case against Tyrone Fields Jr. is ongoing, with Fields facing serious charges for his involvement in the fatal robbery. The Broward County Sheriff's Office continues to investigate the incident, and the community remains hopeful for justice for Ayub Ali and his family.
