Family traumatized by brutal murder of Queens pawnshop owner
JAMAICA, Queens (WABC) -- One family in Queens has been traumatized by a violent act that took the life of a loved one.
Ross Shoughi was brutally beaten to death inside Global Pawn Shop in Jamaica, Queens on April 17.
Shoughi, 60, was the owner of that shop and police are still piecing together exactly what lead up to his death.
Tuesday evening candles outside the shop were almost all burned out. The store is closed and shuttered and no one wants to go inside now.
No one wants to remember those final, violent moments of Shoughi's life.
But his three children and his wife can't stop thinking about it.
"It's just really hard to speak about my dad in the past tense because it feels like he's still here," one of Shoughi's daughters said.
"We've been together for 33 years and this has been extremely tough on the family, I miss him so much, he didn't deserve this," his wife said.
The video released by police is disturbing and shows a vicious, relentless beating that lead to Shoughi's death.
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"He's not human, I don't know how anyone can put themselves in a position to hurt someone, to kill someone the way they did to my dad," Shoughi's daughter said.
His wife said she wasn't aware of any conflicts in her husband's life.
"He just came to work thinking it was going to be a normal day and this monster came in here with intentions to kill him, and he did," she said.
Police have now put out clear surveillance camera pictures of the man they believe murdered Shoughi.
Investigators are hoping someone recognizes the man and identifies him.
Shoughi's family is hopeful too.
"Please come forward, because this could have been your dad, this could have been your husband, friend, your brother, your family and no one deserves to have their life stolen," Shoughi's daughter said.
Investigators say they don't believe this was a robbery gone bad because nothing was missing from the store.
What they don't yet know, is why it ended in murder.
Shoughi's family has started a GoFundMe page to raise money after the brutal murder.
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