ATLANTA — Andrea Bustamante mopped up the street Friday morning where her friend, store owner Mushtaq "Mike" Moloo collapsed and died after he was shot during a robbery attempt the night before.
"There was a lot of blood on the ground where Mike laid," said Bustamante as she used bleach to clean up the pavement. "I felt the need that that's not something that everyone needs to walk over, you know. He was a very important member to us. I guess that he's like my family. So, you know, I'll clean up after him any day just like he would for us."
Atlanta police believe someone tried to rob Moloo at the ATL Food Mark on Barnett Street off Ponce de Leon Avenue in the Virginia-Highland neighborhood.
It was unclear if the shooter got any money. Police did find a bat in the parking lot and some neighbors think Moloo used that bat to try and fight off his attacker.
Bustamante said she heard the gunshot and she and friend Tyler Stringfield came around the corner to see a figure laying the street. She didn't know it was it was Moloo until they rolled him over.
"We walked up and there was blood everywhere," said Stringfield. "And then Andrea started screaming, 'It's Mike, it's Mike!"
"Me and Tyler were there holding onto his hands, rooting for him, letting him know that we were there and to fight," said Bustamante.
They said a registered nurse neighbor joined them and together they tried to perform CPR to save his life, but Moloo did not survive.
Neighbors spent much of Friday delivering flowers, cards and notes to the store's front door.
"He's a huge part of this community," said Stringfield. "He would help anybody. He would take in homeless, let them come in and take some water."