Raied “Ray” Shihadeh, a native Jordanian who became a U.S. citizen, was living the American dream, providing for his family as a partner in a convenience store, treating homeless customers with grace and dignity, and trusting in a just society.
On May 30, 2024, while talking to his wife in a Facetime phone conversation, that dream was shattered by a merciless killer who burst into the M&M Market store in Leesburg and shot him before he had time to react.
His family wanted justice and they got it Wednesday when a judge sentenced 26-year-old Alex Lopez to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“I promise you, today’s verdict was not a miscarriage of justice,” his widow, Monique Shihadeh told Circuit Judge Brian Welke before he imposed the sentence. “It was the perfect carriage of justice.’’…