In the early morning hours of July 19, 2023, Rahil Surani, a 24-year-old South Asian male, was working at a BP gas station on Flat Shoals Road in DeKalb County, Georgia. A recent graduate of the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business, Surani had aspirations of becoming an engineering entrepreneur. Friends and family described him as an intelligent, kind, and compassionate individual who always greeted people with a smile.
At approximately 2 a.m., while Surani was outside the
convenience store posting display signs, he was shot twice during an armed robbery. After the shooting, the assailant entered the store, emptied the cash register, and fled the scene. Surani collapsed on the floor inside the store and was pronounced dead at the scene when officers arrived.
The entire incident was captured on the gas station's surveillance cameras, which played a crucial role in the investigation. In the months following the shooting, DeKalb County police actively investigated the case, which they believed to involve multiple suspects. One individual, Ar'Drez Turner, was arrested and charged with murder and armed robbery. According to the arrest warrant, Turner was accused of participating in the robbery with another, yet unidentified, suspect who is believed to have shot and killed Surani. Turner is also suspected of taking cash from the gas station while armed. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue to search for the other individuals involved.
