On January 19, 2015, Mohammad Eid, a 24-year-old male from Joliet, Illinois, tragically lost his life in a shootout at the Gardner Food Mart. Eid, who was working as a clerk at the store owned by his family, was confronted by two armed suspects during an attempted robbery. The incident occurred around 3:15 p.m. when one of the suspects brandished a handgun. In response, Eid drew a weapon from behind the counter, leading to an exchange of gunfire. Both Eid and one of the suspects, identified as 24-year-old Troy Norris, were fatally wounded in the shootout.
The Joliet Police Department launched an investigation into the incident, focusing on identifying and apprehending the second suspect involved in the robbery. The second suspect, described as a black male approximately 5'9" with a slim build, wearing a light-colored hoodie, managed to flee the scene and remained at large. Police interviewed two individuals who had transported Norris to the Presence St. Joseph Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. However, these interviews did not result in any arrests.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the Joliet community mourned the loss of Mohammad Eid, who was affectionately known as "Mo" by his friends and customers. Memorials, including flowers and stuffed animals, were placed outside the Gardner Food Mart in his honor. Eid was remembered as a kind and generous individual who always had a smile on his face. The investigation into the second suspect continued, with police executing several search warrants and following leads to locate the individual.
Troy Norris, the suspect who was killed in the shootout, had a criminal history that included convictions for aggravated battery and drug charges. He had been released on parole in January 2014 and was due to complete his parole on January 21, 2015. Norris was also involved in a bank fraud scheme and faced multiple charges, including financial crimes enterprise, burglary, wire fraud, money laundering, and financial institution fraud. Despite his criminal background, the focus of the investigation remained on finding the second suspect and bringing them to justice.
