Mobeen Hakeem, a 34-year-old male, was found dead on July 30, 2013, in the basement of the Evanston Pipe & Tobacco shop in Evanston, Illinois. Mobeen, along with his 38-year-old brother Azim Hakeem, was discovered with multiple gunshot wounds. The brothers, who were of South Asian descent, had taken over the family business about ten years prior. The incident occurred around 8 p.m., and there were no immediate signs of robbery, leading the police to classify it as a death investigation
initially.
The investigation took a significant turn when Kevin Ross, a 29-year-old Evanston resident, was identified as the primary suspect in the murders. Ross, who was also involved in a series of bank robberies in the Chicago area, was shot and killed by police in December 2013 after refusing to drop his weapon. Evidence linking Ross to the murders of Mobeen and Azim included identification documents belonging to the brothers, a .22 caliber shell casing matching those found at the crime scene, and a receipt indicating Ross had visited the tobacco shop prior to the murders. Additionally, Ross had purchased a .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol in June 2013, which was believed to be the murder weapon.
The Illinois State Police Crime Lab conducted further analysis of the shell casings, and the police continued to search for the murder weapon, which might have been resold. Ross had no prior arrests in Illinois but had lived briefly in Florida, prompting authorities to investigate his potential involvement in other criminal activities outside the state. The motive for the murders remained unclear, and the investigation into Ross's background and activities continued as police sought to piece together the events leading up to the tragic deaths of Mobeen and Azim Hakeem.
