Man shot and killed at homeless camp while trying to find missing brother

SEATTLE - The family of a Seattle man is asking for the public's help in finding his killer. They believe Arkan Al-Aboudy, 43, had gone out to look for his missing brother in a homeless camp when someone shot and killed him on March 17.

His family said he was found on a sidewalk on South Dearborn Street near 10th Ave South in Seattle.  His body was located near an encampment site that has since been cleared. Arkan was a father of two and had his own home remodeling business.  Family members say he was so worried about his brother, Mike, he had been searching local encampments trying to find him.

"It’s really hard that he’s gone, and he’s not coming back," Zaineb Al-Aboudy, Arkan's sister.

Zaineb says she was very close to her brother, Arkan, adding that everyone called him "AJ".  She said he was always willing to lend a hand and was a doting father to his two young daughters.

"He’s a loving father too, and a friend, and a brother, and I just can’t believe it until now.  He’s gone," said Zaineb.

She says Arkan tried to care for everyone within his large family of five brothers and two sisters, even as a youngster.  "Everybody loves him.  He doesn’t hurt anyone.  We just miss him a lot and it's hard for me."

The family believes Arkan's last act of love for his family was to try to find his brother.

"That’s why he was looking for Mike at the wrong spot at the wrong time," said Zaineb.

Family members say Mike was staying with other family members in Michigan for a few months.  She said that he suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure and had just been diagnosed with cancer. She says the family had not seen Mike since March 1st when he said he was getting a bus ticket to get back to Seattle.  Arkan was worried.

"He just went on his own," said Zaineb.

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Investigators say Arkan was shot once at around 2:20 pm.  The family wants answers on why the person decided to pull the trigger.

"Why did you do it?  Why did you take his life away from his family and his kids?," said Zaineb.  She says that someone spotted Arkan lying on or near a sidewalk off S Dearborn Street and called 911.  She says his ID, phone and keys were missing when he was found.

"We need justice.  That’s what we need. It’s really hard to talk about it," she said.  "He was really a loving brother, he was a sweetheart. If they can help us, please find him, find who did it."

Zaineb is also asking for everyone's help in finding her missing brother, Mike, along with the killer who took away Arkan from his now grieving family.

"It’s really hard to lose a brother, and now we are looking for another missing brother.  It breaks my heart.  So we just need help.  Anyone saw anything or heard anything please come forward," she said.

Detectives are looking to talk to anyone who had contact with Arkan leading up to the shooting. His family and crime stoppers of Puget Sound are offering a $3,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest in the case.  You can submit any information that you have through the P3 tips App or call 1-800-222-TIPS.

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