In the summer of 2022, a community in Acworth, Georgia, was shaken by the violent death of a local business owner. Abu Saleh Mohammad Mahfuz, a 47-year-old man of Bangladeshi descent, was a familiar face to many as the owner of the Kwik E Mart on Acworth Oaks Drive. His life, built after immigrating to the United States, was cut short on the evening of June 14th in a senseless act of violence.
On that Tuesday, a man wearing a ski mask entered the convenience store and fatally shot Mahfuz. The assailant then attempted to open the cash register but was unsuccessful and fled the scene without taking anything. Witnesses reported seeing the man get into a blue Nissan sedan and leave the area. When law enforcement arrived, they found Mahfuz deceased from multiple gunshot wounds. The news of his death sent ripples of grief through his family and the local community, who remembered him as a peaceful and great person.
The investigation into the murder moved swiftly. Acworth police, utilizing surveillance footage and witness statements, were able to identify a suspect within 24 hours. Two days after the shooting, they arrested 59-year-old Marcus Bass. A search of the vehicle he was driving, the same one used as the getaway car, uncovered a black ski mask and a handgun. Further investigation revealed the involvement of a second individual. Peterson Paris, 33, was seen on surveillance footage entering the store about 20 minutes before the shooting and was on the phone with Bass. He then met Bass near the parked Nissan and repositioned it for a quick departure while Bass went inside to commit the crime. Paris was arrested just over a week after the incident.
The legal process brought a measure of justice for the killing of Abu Saleh Mohammad Mahfuz. Marcus Bass, the man who fired the shots that killed the store owner, was convicted on three counts of murder, criminal attempt to commit armed robbery, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional five years. His accomplice, Peterson Paris, was also found guilty of murder, criminal attempt to commit armed robbery, and aggravated assault for his role in the crime and was awaiting sentencing.
