7-Eleven employee shot and killed in Steele Creek area store, CMPD says

An employee at a 7-Eleven gas station in Charlotte’s Steele Creek division was shot and killed early Saturday, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said.

Police were called to the 700 block of Westinghouse Boulevard near Interstate 77 around 3:30 a.m., where the victim had been shot in the store. Police identified the victim Saturday night: 55-year-old Khaled Mohamad Elmerkabaoui, who was found lying inside the business by people who went into the store to shop.

Elmerkabaoui, of Charlotte, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.

This has been an especially deadly year in Charlotte, with Elmerkabaoui’s death being the 82nd killing of the year. Three more people died later on Saturday in a domestic-related case. There were 69 homicides in the city for all of last year.

Charlotte is on pace to reach a homicide total not seen in nearly 25 years.

Reporter Adam Bell contributed

This story was originally published December 9, 2017 at 11:18 AM with the headline "7-Eleven employee shot and killed in Steele Creek area store, CMPD says."