Trail to the Truth: Who robbed Abdul?
SALISBURY, Md. – A regular day at Abdul Choudhry’s gas station in 2009 turned devasting for his family after a robbery gone wrong.
The “American dream” is a journey that many immigrants chase when they come to the United States. Forty-five-year-old Abdulmonaf “Abdul” Choudhry was living his American dream after immigrating from Pakistan to the U.S. in 1992. Abdul was looking for a better opportunity for his family, and he found it in 2007. He opened up two gas stations; one in Eden, and the other in North Salisbury. That’s where Abdul was on Jun. 22, 2009.
What Happened on 6/22/2009?
“That evening he was not even supposed to be working or anything,” says Jahangir “Jay” Choudhry, Abdul’s eldest son. “So, he has his own store on the north end of town so he ended up going in there at around 8:30 p.m. and he had a guy who was working there. He told him, ‘You can go home early today, it’s no problem.”
As Abdul tended to the store while with a friend, the two sat and conversed– normal for a slow night at the Shell gas station. Until, two people, described by Jay as “kids,” walked in. The two demanded money from Abdul but he was determined to protect his business. He struggled with one of the men until shots rang out, striking him multiple times.
At the time, then 20-year-old Jay was manning the Eden gas station.
“I was here, I got a phone call, somebody said, ‘Your dad got shot,'” Jay recounts. “I was here, I was sweeping the parking lot, and the next thing I know… he was already on the ventilator.”
In a matter of minutes, the Choudhry family’s American dream was shattered. Abdul was rushed to TidalHealth where he later died. His wife was now a widow, and three young boys began to navigate life without their father.
Almost two decades later, no arrests have been made. It’s a case that’s left unanswered questions for his son– who wants to find out who pulled the trigger.
A Pattern of Robberies in the Area
Following the robbery, former Salisbury Police Department (SPD) Captain Mark Tyler spoke with WMDT about what witnesses saw that night. They described two suspects; one was thin and around six feet tall, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and a black mask over his face. The other was dressed in all dark clothing. The descriptions, while vague, did leave Jay wondering wondering if this was an isolated incident, or a pattern.
“Every store was getting robbed in town if I’m remembering it right from Thirsty’s on the road to other stores, everybody was getting hit that week,” Jay says. “It could’ve been planned or it could’ve been accidental.”
Thirsty’s, Shell, Quick Mart, and the Universal Citgo were all robbed in the span of two months in 2009. Meanwhile, the Countryside Market was hit twice in June, just weeks before Abdul was killed. In all of those robberies, the suspects fled with cash, but this case was different.
“They didn’t take no money. They didn’t let him get that far,” Jay says. “if you ask someone to give you money, you have to let them get that far to the money. So, it could’ve been planned or it could’ve been like I said, they poke him in the back he turned around and they were young kids so…”
Abdul’s Death Left Unanswered
Almost 17 years have passed since Abdul’s death, and so much has changed in Jay’s life since his dad died. He took over the family business, while his brothers got married and turned Jay into an uncle. But the one thing that hasn’t changed is his longing for answers.
SPD are still looking for the individuals responsible for Abdul’s death. If you have any information about the 2009 shooting of Abdulmonaf Choudhry, please call in your tips to police at 410-548-3165.
