SANFORD, Fla. — A family and community is left grieving this Christmas over the death of a beloved Sanford store owner.
Officers responded to the area of West 4th Street and Poplar Avenue just before 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Investigators gathered in the parking lot of Kim’s Foods, a small neighborhood convenience store, where Joshua Hur, 63, was found gunned down. Many in the neighborhood knew him as "Kim."
“There was an individual, a male, he had been shot multiple times. He was transported to Central Florida Regional,” said Ronny Neal of the Sanford Police Department.
Hur has owned the store for 13 years. He and his family came to the United States from South Korea in 1993.
“Mr. Hur struggled, working from job to job to support his family. During this time, Mr. Hur realized that he was not happy with his life; therefore, he located Kim's Food in Sanford, Florida and made a decision to purchase it. This was 13 years ago and Mr. Hur had happily served the community ever since,” Sanford police said in a news release.
On Thursday afternoon, hours after the shooting, Sanford police officers were behind the store searching through a wooded area and bushes for more clues.
Hur’s pastor, Barnabas Phipps of Green Hill Church, said Hur was a pillar in the community and his ministry.
“It didn’t matter what color they were or affluent, or rich or poor, he treated everyone the same,” said Phipps. “He has never done anything wrong and in fact, he was very instrumental in helping the community and giving things freely from his own store.”
Police said Hur was known by everyone in the neighborhood as the man who would give free food to someone who was hungry.
“Generous, friendly, loving, caring, will give you anything,” said Susan Shank, who has been a customer of Hur’s for years.
On Wednesday, Hur was trying to leave work in time to get to a late church service when a shooter walked up and opened fire, police said.
“If anybody out there knows who did this, please come forward. Because he’s a really good man,” said Shank.
Investigators said they do have some leads in the case but are still searching for the gunman. They’ve placed Crimeline photos in front of the store and are promising a $1,000 reward for anyway who can identify the shooter.
Anyone who may have witnessed the shooting is asked to call police.
WFTV
