Ahmed Zainuldeen’s family escaped violence in Iraq, fleeing to the United States during the war. The 23-year-old was building a new life in Colorado only to be shot and killed during an apparent carjacking last week.
The shooting happened right outside his family’s apartment.
The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office said on Wednesday it was searching for four people, possibly juveniles, potentially connected to the deadly carjacking in the 7400 block of E. Harvard Avenue.
Investigators said the suspects took off with Zainuldeen’s 2012 silver Hyundai Sonata which was later discovered by sheriff’s investigators on September 20 in Aurora.
In a GoFundMe setup to help support Zainuldeen’s family with immediate needs, organizer Anna Hanel wrote “Ahmed was bright, kind, and full of humor. He worked hard to support his family, as resources are very tight for newcomers in their first years in Colorado.”
Hanel is a caseworker from the African Community of Denver refugee resettlement agency.
She wrote his family had waited for years for a chance to build a new life in the United States and is “grateful for the metro Denver community and beyond for your outpouring of kindness during this unimaginable difficult time for this family.”
Investigators have located the victim's car that was stolen in a deadly carjacking on 9/19. It was found on 9/20 in the city of Aurora. The vehicle is currently being processed by our crime lab.
— Arapahoe Sheriff (@ArapahoeSO) September 21, 2023
We're still searching for the four suspects involved in the homicide. So far, we've… https://t.co/YNBtR6Vxiu pic.twitter.com/cVPXqlQAt7
Hanel told The Denver Post, Zainuldeen’s parents were accustomed go violence in Iraq and “now they had to see it here in the United States, where you’re supposed to feel safe.”
The deadly carjacking happened on September 19 and the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office said it is processing Zainuldeen’s car for any forensic clues but has not located the 4 suspects.
Anyone with information is asked to contact investigators on their tip line at 720-874-8744.
