Raied “Ray” Shihadeh, a 51-year-old man from Port St. Lucie, Florida, was fatally shot on May 30, 2024, while working at his convenience store, Fast Stop Superette, located at 3702 Picciola Road in Leesburg, Florida. The incident occurred during an armed robbery of the store. At the time of the shooting, Shihadeh was on the phone with his wife, Monique Shihadeh.
The perpetrator, identified as Alex Lopez, 25, entered the store and shot Shihadeh before taking $100 from the register.
Lopez was later arrested in Kissimmee by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in June 2024. He is currently being held at the Lake County Jail with no bond.
In addition to Alex Lopez's arrest, further investigations led to the arrest of three more individuals accused of aiding him. These include Patricia Kinchens, Lopez's mother; Breanna Lopez, his sister; and Kaili Dupuis, his girlfriend. Kinchens and Breanna Lopez were arrested without incident, while Dupuis remains at large and is wanted by law enforcement. The three women face charges for accessory after the fact of premeditated murder, armed robbery with a firearm, possession of a firearm/ammo by a convicted felon, and weapon display/use during a felony.
Shihadeh was remembered by his family and community as a loving husband and father of five children, whose ages range from 10 to 20. His family has expressed relief at the arrests but is awaiting the conviction and punishment of the suspects to feel that justice has been served. The Leesburg Police Department has been instrumental in the investigation and has urged anyone with information about the case to come forward.
