Tanjim Siam left his parents and siblings in Bangladesh and moved to the United States to get an education. A few months ago, he got hired to work as a clerk at a convenience store on Shawmut Avenue in Roxbury.
It was there, inside the M & R convenience store, that his life was forever changed.
Siam, 23, was working last Tuesday night when an armed robber entered the store at 718 Shawmut Ave. shortly after 9 p.m. and shot him in the head, police said.
Siam is currently in a coma at Boston Medical Center, his friend said.
“It’s terrible,” said Humayun Morshed, a friend of Siam’s who serves as secretary of the Boston Convenience Store Owners Association.
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Morshed described Siam as a hard worker who was always friendly and helpful. He had gotten to know many of the neighbors and regular customers during the short time he worked at the store.
“His intention was to go to school,” Morshed said.
The robbery happened as Siam was getting ready to close the store on the night of July 14.
Morshed said the robber first demanded cash, then cigarettes, and then T-shirts. He said Siam was cooperative and complied with each of those demands. Then the robber told Siam to lay down on the floor. Siam did as he was told, and the robber shot him in the head, he said.
“It was execution-style,” Morshed said. “It was not a normal robbery. Why are you going to kill someone like that?”
The Boston Convenience Store Owners Association, which is a coalition of owners of more than 100 Boston stores, has launched a GoFundMe page to raise money to help support Siam.
“Tanjim is a kind soul who came to this country to get an education and begin building his life. Now he is fighting to stay alive,” Morshed said in a statement posted to the GoFundMe page. “He is good to everybody, helpful and friendly. He moved to Boston alone, leaving his parents, and siblings behind, with a dream to get an education. But his dreams and hard work have now been shattered.”
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As of Monday afternoon, their online fundraising campaign had raised $3,785.
Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh and Police Commissioner William Gross denounced the violent act last week.
“My heart breaks for him and his family,” Walsh said at a press conference, adding that he’s “frustrated and angry” by the “cruel, senseless violence” that has plagued the city recently.
“Someone committing a crime like this makes a choice,” Walsh said. “A choice to inflict pain and suffering on a fellow human being.”
Gross also noted the wounded clerk was working at a convenience store, the kind of business that’s a “staple to the community.”
Gross said violent offenders have become emboldened by the pandemic, with word on the street being “you can do what you want” while courts are closed and grand jury proceedings are on hold.
No arrests had been made in the case as of Monday, according to Boston police spokesman Sergeant Detective John Boyle.
Abdul Matin, the owner of the M & R convenience store, said Siam is “like my son.”
“He was always so nice to me,” said Matin. “He’s in my heart, you know? I’m praying to God for his recovery.”
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Emily Sweeney can be reached at emily.sweeney@globe.com. Follow her @emilysweeney and on Instagram @emilysweeney22.