WINONA – The Winona Police Department is investigating an attempted murder-suicide that took place during business hours at a local convenience store Thursday afternoon.
Officer Michael Spellman said the manager of Save More, LLC, Abdulhakim (Alex) Saleh Salman, shot the owner of the store, Munawar (Sal) H. Alsaidi, twice, before turning the gun on himself. Salman was pronounced dead at the scene and Alsaidi was airlifted to University Medical Center in Jackson.
Spellman said patrolmen were called to the scene after Winona Police Chief Johnny Hargrove saw a man run from the store during his routine patrol of the area.
“Chief Hargrove saw the male subject running and then he fell down, and then he ran right out into traffic,” Spellman said. “Chief Hargrove said it appeared something was wrong and he stopped the subject and he said there were people at the store shooting.”
Spellman said before Hargrove responded, he called for additional units to meet him at the store. When they arrived, they found Salman, 36, on the customer’s side of the counter with a gunshot wound to the head and Alsaidi, 53, was found behind the counter with at least two gunshot wounds. Emergency units transported Alsaidi to Tyler Holmes Memorial Hospital in Winona and he was later taken to UMC, where he was listed in critical, but stable condition.
During their investigation, authorities learned the incident apparently stemmed from a dispute between Salman and Alsaidi on “how the store was being run” or “possibly money,” Spellman said. Save More, LLC, formerly Jr. Food Mart, was purchased and remodeled by Alsaidi earlier this summer. Alsaidi also owns several other convenience stores in the area including one on U.S. Highway 407 in Winona, and another in Kilmichael.
Spellman said there was one employee, a female clerk, on duty at the time of the shooting and that Salman also fired at least two shots at her.
“She jumped the counter and was hiding in the restroom,” Spellman said. “But she was not injured. And the only customer in the store, the man that ran out, was not injured.”
Police recovered a .45 caliber handgun and five spent rounds at the scene. The incident remains under investigation.
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