GOODYEAR, Ariz. — At 17 years old, Mohamed Salim Abdullah was hailed as a hero.
In January 2020, as a junior at Metro Tech High School, Abdullah saved a teacher’s life after she suddenly passed out, his older sister, who did not want to be identified said.
“He didn’t [hesitate],” she said, recalling how Abdullah performed CPR until the teacher, whom he had not met before, started breathing again. “He was able to save that teacher’s life.”
Helping others, was something he always did, his older sister added.
Now, his family hopes someone will be their hero and help solve his murder.
On Saturday, Abdullah was shot and killed in a backyard around 1 a.m. in the area of Litchfield Road and Western Avenue, according to the Goodyear Police Department.
Abdullah was rushed to a hospital where he later died from his injuries.
“He was so brave and wasn’t afraid to share his love with others,” his sister said. “Anybody that would describe him would say, ‘you know what, Salim was so positive.”
Abdullah was one of five siblings. His family said their healing process will begin once the person responsible for their pain is caught.
“Please give the police a call so they can do their job and bring this person and brings us a little bit of justice and we as a family don’t want anyone else the pain and suffering that are experiencing,” his older sister said.
The circumstances leading up to the shooting are still under investigation.
Goodyear police have recently released photos of individuals they're looking to identify in relation to Abdullah's death:
Police have not specified how the subjects in these photos may be involved in the incident.
Anyone with information on this case or who can identify the pictured individuals is asked to call the Goodyear Police Department at 623-932-1220.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: La policía busca a sospechoso después de que mataron a tiros a un joven de 19 años en Goodyear
Silent Witness:
Arizona's Silent Witness program allows people to send in tips and share information about crimes happening within their local communities.
The program shares unsolved felony case information in multiple ways, including TV, radio and social media.
Anyone who has information on a crime or recognizes a suspect described by the program is asked to call 480-948-6377, go to the program's website online or download the Silent Witness app to provide a tip. The identity of anyone who submits a tip is kept anonymous.
Calls to Silent Witness are answered 24/7 by a live person and submitted tips are accepted at all times. Submitted tips are then sent to the detective(s) in charge of the specific case.
Individuals who submit tips that lead to an arrest or indictment in the case can get a reward of up to $1,000. Have a tip? Submit it on the Silent Witness tip form here.
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