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West Side Gas Station Employee Shot Dead In Robbery

UPDATED 07/27/12 8:07 a.m.

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A gas station clerk working to support his wife and three girls is dead this morning – killed in what police say appears to be a robbery in the East Garfield Park neighborhood.

As CBS 2's Susanna Song reports, Baker Farhat, 35, was shot inside the Marathon gas station where he worked in at 43 N. Homan Ave., between Washington and Warren boulevards across from the eastern boundary of Garfield Park.

Farhat was working the overnight shift here at the gas station to support his family living in Jerusalem.

His co-workers say all the customers loved him, and he was charming. They are furious someone would shoot him even after he handed over the money.

"All the customers were like family to him, you know? I mean, he trusted everybody, you know?" said co-worker Taser Uddin. "But unfortunately, you can't trust everybody."

Uddin left Farhat 30 minutes before the Marathon gas station was robbed.

"It's the only day I didn't stay extra," Uddin said.

Uddin said he typically stayed to help out behind the counter, but because of Ramadan, Farhat told him to go home and be with his family.

"He just kept insisting. I'm like, 'OK, fine,'" Uddin said. "I didn't want to go home, but he just said, you know, 'It's OK.

"I wish I was there. Maybe I could've prevented it. Honestly, I wish I just was there," Uddin said.

Farhat was shot around 4 a.m. Friday. Co-workers say they were told two suspects came in and shot Farhat in the head, and then shot at a customer.

"He gave them the money, and he just said, 'OK, fine, I gave you the money,'" Uddin said, "and they still shot him."

"I don't believe it," added security guard Charles Garrett. "I just don't believe it."

Farhat's brother and cousins watched police search for evidence inside and around the gas station store.
Police are also looking at surveillance video to get a good picture of the suspects.

"I can't name or think of anybody who would do this to him," Uddin said. "He would just work every day and send money back to his family over there."

A security guard usually works at the gas station, but he is off on Thursday nights.

Farhat's family says he will most likely be buried in Chicago, because this is where he was born and spent most of his life.

Police have not provided any surveillance pictures at this time.

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