Chaldean business community offering $10K reward in Detroit store clerk's slaying

Detroit — A foundation set up to help solve crimes committed against members of Detroit's Chaldean business community is offering $10,000 for the capture of the suspects who killed a 43-year-old store clerk last week as he tried to stop them from stealing his car.

Thaair Dado was killed at about 11:30 pm. on Feb. 3 outside the All Stars Beverage store in the 10600 block of W. Chicago on Detroit's west side as he tried to stop a group of thieves from stealing his car, police said.

According to the Detroit Police Department, Dado was carrying garbage from the store when he saw someone driving his car. When Dado tried to stop the driver, someone opened the passenger store and started shooting. The men then got into their own vehicle, a red Hyundai, possibly an Elantra, with silver rims and a missing front bumper. Two other men were also thought to be inside the getaway vehicle, according to Detroit police and Crime Stoppers of Michigan.

Dado's nephew, Manar Dano, said the victim's family is "devastated."

"Anytime anybody wanted help, (Dado) was there," Dano said during a press conference Friday at Crime Stoppers of Michigan's Southfield office. "My mother still doesn't believe he's gone."

Sharkey Haddad, special projects manager for the Chaldean Chamber of Commerce, said Dado's killing is indicative of the violence Chaldean-American store employees face in Detroit.

"We started collecting data on Chaldean-American business owners who have been killed in their places of business since the late 1960s," Haddad said. "There have been 100 Chaldean-American business owners killed in Metro Detroit businesses ... I've been in the metro area for the past 40 years, and we've had 2 to 3 victims of (homicide) per year in their stores."

Dano said he watched surveillance video of his uncle's killing that shows the victim taking trash out of the store.

"He saw his car backing up, so he dropped the trash and ran up to the vehicle to see what was going on," Dano said. "He was trying to open the (driver's side) door; that's when you see the passenger door open and (a man) started shooting. (Dado) turned around and started running, and then he fell on his face."

Dano said it took 13 minutes for police arrive.

"If they'd have gotten there faster, maybe he'd have had a chance," Dano said. "This needs to change; 13-14 minutes laying on the ground is too much."

Dado emigrated from Iraq in 2014, and was working multiple jobs to support himself, his wife and their 16-year-old daughter, Dano said.

"He had just bought a house a few years ago, and was trying to build a new life in Michigan," Dano said. "Whoever did this needs to go do jail."

Dano said a memorial service for his uncle was held Thursday in Iraq.

Haddad said the $10,000 reward was put up by the Waad Murad Advocacy fund, which was set up by the Chaldean Chamber of Commerce and the Chaldean Community Foundation in 2011. The fund honors Waad Murad, who was gunned down in his Detroit used car dealership in 2005.

"The aim is to bring justice to the perpetrator, and hopefully some small relief to the victim's family," Haddad said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers of Michigan with anonymous tips at (800) SPEAK UP (773-2587).

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