2 men found guilty of killing gas station owner in Acworth in 2022
Marcus Bass
COBB COUNTY, Ga. - Two men have been found guilty of murder for the death of gas station owner 59-year-old Abu Majfuj Ahammed in Acworth in Cobb County on June 14, 2022.
Marcus Bass, 61, and Peterson Paris, 33, were found guilty of murder by two different juries. Superior Court Judge Kellie Hill sentenced Bass on Oct. 6, 2023, to life without the possibility of parole plus five years for malice murder, two counts of felony murder, criminal attempt to commit armed robbery, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
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Paris, who was found guilty on March 1, will be sentenced at a later date for felony murder, criminal attempt to commit armed robbery, and aggravated assault.
Acworth police confirmed at the time of the shooting that the suspected shooter was a longtime customer that the owner allowed to barbecue in his parking lot.
According to Cobb County District Attorney Flynn D. Broady Jr., Paris went into the Kwik E Mart on Acworth Oaks Drive first on the day of the fatal shooting. He was on the phone with Bass at the time and left the store without making any purchases.
He then met Bass nearby at a car wash. Surveillance video captured Bass, with a black ski mask on his head, putting a gun into his waistband.
Bass then went to the gas station and pointed the gun at Ahammed for 52 seconds before discharging a round, striking him in the chest. Bass then moved behind the counter and fired a second shot.
Bass tried to open the cash register but was unsuccessful and left the store without any money or items. He walked back to the car wash, got into a car driven by Paris, and they sped away.
The Cobb County Sheriff's Office arrested Bass on June 17 and found a black ski mask and gun in his car. Paris was arrested June 24.
Assistant District Attorney Stephanie Green and Assistant District Attorney Jared Horowitz prosecuted Marcus Bass, while Assistant District Attorney Jared Horowitz and Assistant District Attorney Paul Camarillo prosecuted Peterson Paris on behalf of the state. The defendants, Marcus Bass and Peterson Paris were represented by Charles Engleberger and Herman Maddox Kilgore, respectively.