On the evening of Thursday, April 1, 2010, Adel Kobeissi, a Lebanese American man, was closing up his Sunoco gas station for the night on Detroit's west side. As he was leaving at approximately 9:45 p.m. at the corner of Puritan Street and Schaefer Highway, he was attacked in a sudden and violent robbery. A gunman shot Adel in the head, taking his life for what his family says amounted to only the change he was carrying.
The timing was particularly tragic, as he was scheduled to take his wife and children on a family vacation to Florida the very next day.
The murder left his family devastated. His brother, Imad Kobeissi, spoke years later about the enduring pain of his loss, keeping framed photos of Adel in his home, car, and workplace to keep his memory alive. The brutal nature of the crime, committed for such a small amount of money, was a source of profound anguish for his loved ones. Adel, who was also known as Alex, was another victim in a long and troubling history of Arab and Chaldean business owners being killed in robberies in Detroit and the surrounding suburbs.
In the years following the murder, the case has grown cold, with no publicly identified suspects or arrests made in connection with the crime. Despite the passage of time, the investigation officially remains open. A cash reward of up to $18,000 has been offered for any information that leads to the felony arrest of the person or persons responsible for this senseless act of violence. Law enforcement and family members still hope that someone will come forward with the information needed to bring a measure of justice for Adel Kobeissi's death.
