ELDORADO — Residents of Eldorado began gathering at the Eldorado Food Mart late Tuesday afternoon to talk about the death of store owner Akhtar Perveez.

Perveez was found dead in the store on July 30 and the Tift County Sheriff’s Office and Georgia Bureau of investigation are investigating the death.

A release from the GBI states the death appears to have happened in connection to a robbery attempt.

A deputy with the Tift County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed there was a shooting at a convenience store in Tift County, according to our news partners at WALB.

Residents and regulars gathered to talk about what they had heard and speculate on what happened, but mostly to remember Perveez.

Ricky Connor, who worked at the store for approximately three years but had known Perveez for over 15 years, said that Perveez ran the store in that location for 10 years.

“He came to this area, didn’t know anything,” Connor said. “Couldn’t hardly speak English.”

Connor said that Perveez was robbed his first week at the store. Because of the language barrier he didn’t understand the note the robber gave him and tried to give him directions instead.

“He had the kindest smile and the kindest demeanor of anyone I’ve ever known,” Connor said. “This guy had a heart that was unparalleled.”

According to Connor, Perveez said that if he ever won the lottery, he wanted to build cancer research facilities where people could get treatment for free.

Connor also said that Perveez would catch people shoplifting and, instead of having them arrested, would give them a job.

“That’s just his mindset,” Connor said. “I’m not trying to paint him as a saint, because he wasn’t. But he wouldn’t hurt a fly. You’d come in with a sad story or a mushy video, he’d cry at the drop of a hat.”

Connor said that Perveez, who was a native of Pakistan, would Facetime his two daughters in Pakistan every morning. His immediate family lives in Pakistan, and Perveez would go back to visit once a year.

Connor and some of the others who were gathered at the store laughed as they swapped stories about Perveez, who Connor said was almost like family to many people.

Connor said that the whole community is angry about what happened and wanted whoever killed him caught. Many of those who were gathered agreed that Perveez would have just given any robbers what they asked for.

“He was the brightest light I’ve ever known,” Connor said. “He didn’t just talk the talk, he walked it.”

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the TCSO at (229) 388-6021 or the GBI at (229) 777-2080.

Follow Eve Copeland on Twitter @EveCopelandTTG.