East Bay Murder Victim Identified

HAYWARD, CA — A man who was shot dead on Mission Boulevard in unincorporated Hayward early Sunday morning was identified by the Alameda County Sheriff's Office today as 39-year-old Ajmal "AJ" Faroqi of Brentwood.

Sgt. Ray Kelly said Faroqi was shot while he was seated in his car when it stopped in the 21200 block of Mission Boulevard at about 3 a.m. Sunday. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Kelly said the motive for the killing hasn't been determined but investigators are looking into the possibility that Faroqi was shot during an attempted robbery or carjacking.

Kelly said Faroqi "was a very innocent victim who didn't deserve what happened."

Faroqi is survived by a wife and two young daughters and "was well-known in the Afghani community," Kelly said.

A GoFundMe page to raise money for Faroqi's wife and daughters had raised nearly $29,000 of its $50,000 goal as of 11 a.m. today.

One friend said in a post that Faroqi "was shot and killed while he was driving home with his friends."

Another friend wrote, "We talked about the days we worked at Fremont Toyota. I told him to go home and get some rest and he said he will. A great person to work with and always there to lend a helping hand. I'm in
tears writing this."

A third friend wrote, "AJ was full of love and light every time I would see him. He would consistently laugh, you can see his smile from across the room because he was the guy having the most fun! He always had open arms to anyone around him."

Go Fund Me is a Patch promotional partner.

— Bay City News; Image via Go Fund Me