No Cause of Death Yet in Tobacco Shop Shootings

There are more questions than answers at this point in the deaths of two brothers who were found shot to death Tuesday night in the basement of their downtown Evanston tobacco shop. 

Police said they went to Evanston Pipe & Tobacco, 923 Davis St., at the request of a concerned family member, where they found Azim Hakeem, 38, and Mobeen Hakeem, 34, both Evanston residents, dead of apparent gunshot wounds. There were no indications that a robbery had occurred, and the incident is classified as a “death investigation,” according to police.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office told Patch that an autopsy would be completed between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Thursday. But as of Thursday afternoon, a spokesperson for the medical examiner’s office said simply that they had not issued a cause of death “pending further investigation” by police.

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Evanston Police Cmdr. Jason Parrott said in an e-mail Thursday afternoon that police were not releasing any more information on the brothers’ deaths at this point.

A family member posted a statement Wednesday on the door of an Evanston home that is listed online as the Hakeems’ address.

“My brothers were gentle, humble men who did not deserve anything like this,” the statement read. It was signed by Farheen Hakeem, “daughter, sister and friend.” 

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

• Brothers Shot to Death in Downtown Evanston Store
• Nearby Shop-Owners Remember Hakeem Brothers
• Family Issues Statement, Calling Brothers "Gentle, Humble Men"
• Photos From the Scene Outside Evanston Tobacco & Pipe Shop