Regular customers and the boss of a North Hollywood liquor store worker remember the 61-year-old father and husband as "generous" and "a sweetheart" after he was shot and killed Saturday night by robbers.
Mohammed Kalam, 61, of North Hollywood, was shot in the upper body and died at the scene of a robbery just before midnight at the A&D Liquor Mart on Sherman Way, authorities said.
"I can't believe how disgusting people are that they do such things to such a nice man," said 13-year-old Linzi Oros, who would regularly stop by the store with her family to pick up snacks.
Oros and her family are hoping to collect money to support Kalam's wife and his three children, one of whom attends college.
"He was always happy," Oros said. "He would always greet us. He would call me his 'best friend.'"
Alex Kapner, the store owner, said Kalam was a hard worker and was great with customers. He is also trying to raise money for Kalam's funeral.
"I don't understand how this happened to him," he said. "He'd talk to anybody if somebody's having trouble."
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The robbers, vaguely described by authorities as a male and female, are still at large.
Detectives are still reviewing the store's surveillance footage.
Anyone with information regarding the robbery and shooting was asked to call the LAPD's North Hollywood station at 818-623-4016.
