Evanston Police Classify Brothers' Deaths as Murder

Azeem Hakeem and Mubeen Hakeem were found dead in a cigar shop in Evanston

Evanston Police are now classifying the deaths of two brothers found in the basement of a cigar shop as murder.

Azeem Hakeem, 38, and Mubeen Hakeem, 34, were both shot multiple times inside the store last week in the 900 block of Davis Street.

Relatives at the scene said the victims' mother was worried when her sons didn't return home from working at the shop Tuesday evening, so she went to the store. She found a suspicious padlock on the door and noticed the open sign was lit but the lights were off inside, and she called police.

Officers searched the store and found the men's bodies in the basement.

Family members said the brothers were running the tobacco shop to support their mother and 80-year-old disabled father.

"Who could do this kind of thing to these beautiful kids," the brothers' uncle Qudrat Syed said. "We are in a state of shock right now."

Police weren't releasing much information Wednesday morning as forensic teams continued collecting evidence. Evanston Police were being assisted by the Mayor Crimes Task Force.

The family says they have no clue who would do something like this or why.

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