‘He Was Just Working’: Murder of Smoke Shop Employee Leaves Florida Family in Shock
Pompano Beach, FL — For the Abdelaziz family, time stopped the night 27-year-old Sayf Abdelaziz was shot in the head while working a quiet closing shift at his family’s smoke shop. Months have passed, but the grief — and the questions — still linger, louder than ever. Now, with an arrest made in Georgia, Sayf’s family is demanding to know: why did this happen?
“He never hurt anyone. He was just working.”
On a March evening earlier this year, Sayf was behind the counter at Fire Up Smoke Shop, a small, family-run store in a strip mall off Sample Road. Surveillance video shows a man entering the store, exchanging just a few words, then pulling out a gun and shooting Sayf execution-style before calmly walking out.
No robbery. No struggle. Nothing stolen. No known connection between the two men.
It made no sense.
Sayf’s older brother, Hussein Abdelaziz, was there that night. He ran out from the back room seconds after the shot rang out, only to find his younger brother dying on the floor. “I heard the bang. I ran out and saw Sayf. I didn’t see anyone else. Just my brother — bleeding,” Hussein told reporters, his voice breaking. “He was the most peaceful person I know. He would never start trouble.”
Arrest in Atlanta brings relief — but no closure
Authorities this week confirmed the arrest of 25-year-old Claurry Paul, who was located at an apartment in Atlanta, Georgia, nearly 600 miles from the crime scene. It remains unclear how police tracked him there — whether through surveillance, digital data, or a tip — but the Broward Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Paul is expected to be extradited back to Florida to face murder charges.
Investigators have said they are still working to determine a motive. So far, it appears that Paul and Sayf were strangers. There were no signs of theft, personal disputes, or gang activity. Nothing to suggest Sayf was targeted — or that he even had a chance.
“To walk into a store and just end someone’s life for no reason… what kind of person does that?” Hussein asked during a candlelight vigil outside the shop. “We deserve to know why.”
A family shattered
The Abdelaziz family emigrated from Egypt over a decade ago in search of a safer life. Sayf had dreams of becoming a paramedic. He was helping manage the store while saving for school. “He was the backbone of this family,” said their cousin, Rania, who flew in from Michigan after the murder. “He had a calming energy, always laughing, always asking how you were doing.”
Since Sayf’s death, the family has shut down the shop. A makeshift memorial of candles and handwritten notes still stands where the cash register used to be. Customers and neighbors occasionally leave flowers or photos. “He treated customers like friends,” one regular said. “I can’t understand how someone could take him away just like that.”
The path ahead
Claurry Paul remains in custody in Georgia and is expected to be formally extradited to Broward County within the next two weeks. If convicted of first-degree murder, he could face life in prison or the death penalty under Florida law.
The Abdelaziz family says they’re determined to sit through every hearing — no matter how long the case drags on.
“We want justice,” Hussein said. “But we also want to understand. We need to know who this man is — and why he chose to destroy so many lives in a matter of seconds.”
Pulkeet Gupta is a dedicated content writer specializing in the field of education and entertainment niche. With a passion for learning and a keen interest in sharing knowledge, Pulkeet has established himself as a prominent figure in the education and entertainment writing community.
