MOORHEAD — Abdullahi Mohamed Abdullahi was one of 10 children who came from a refugee camp in Kenya to make a new beginning in Moorhead.
Early Wednesday morning, his new beginning came to an abrupt end when he was shot in his taxi cab, his family said.
"I loved my brother so much," said his brother, Ahmed Mohamed Abdullahi.
Police cordoned off the scene on the 3000 block of 20th Street South after being called to a single-vehicle crash around 3 a.m. Moorhead police said the injuries to Abdullahi Mohamed Abdullahi's body were not consistent with a car crash.
The siblings of the 24-year-old said their brother could make anyone laugh, and he was someone people leaned on during tough times.
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"It is very hard because we have been a pack — like a wolf pack — and when one falls, we always stand up for each other. We are always there for each other," Ahmed Abdullahi said.
Other siblings echoed the praise for their steadfast brother.
"That is what inspired me about him, he was my hero," said Abdullahi's sister, Ubah Mohamed Abdullahi
He went above and beyond not just for his family, but also for his peers, his siblings said. Abdullahi was honored for his leadership at the Burdick Job Corps Center where he motivated and mentored fellow students, they said.
"He would always coach them and help them out. He was always there advocating for them," Ahmed Abdullahi said.
Abdullahi was afraid to work nights while driving the cab but was doing so during Ramadan, his family said.
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Ramadan is a time of fasting, prayer, reflection and community for Muslims. During the monthlong observance, fasting from dawn to sunset is obligatory for healthy adults. Eid, which marks the end of Ramadan, begins on May 12 this year.
Abdullahi had just days left before Eid, when he would have left the night shift.
"I want him to know his death was not in vain," Ahmed Abdullahi said. "He was an amazing person."
A GoFundMe page has been set up by Abdullahi's family.
