Family of murdered Fort Worth store clerk speaks out

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A man turned himself in to police Wednesday afternoon after police say he murdered a convenience store clerk in Fort Worth.

Police were already circulating the mug shot of 20-year-old Christian Silva. He turned himself in around 2: p.m. at the old police headquarters on West Belknap and is being held in the Fort Worth Jail.

Finding strength in her faith and family, Miriam Rizk is mourning the sudden and violent death of her husband, 38-year-old Jimmy Khela.

“I just want to know why,” the widow said.

Fort Worth police say Silva shot Khela in the throat while Khela was working at the Pronto Food Store last Saturday.

“It's a disaster for family,” said Khela’s brother, Sameh. “I couldn't believe what's happened. Nobody believes what happened.”

The morning of the shooting, Khela's brother says the 38-year-old father of two was at church, helping to make the holy bread before heading to work.

Meanwhile, according to an arrest affidavit, Silva had "consumed Xanax and cough syrup." Hours later, the two came face to face. The arrest report says Silva "went to the Pronto store to rob the place." It goes on to say "Christian fired his handgun believing that the clerk was reaching for a weapon."

Khela's brother doesn't buy Silva's story.

“Why you do such a thing like this? You get what you want. Why do you leave like 1000 people suffering?” pleaded Sameh. “You get what you want. What else do you need you take his life?”

And while Silva sits in jail, charged with murder, Khela's widow has to tell her 5-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son that their dad is never coming home.

“It's very hard,” said Rizk.

“She wants somebody to tell her the way to deal with the situation,” said Sameh. “How she going to tell her daughter what happened to their father?”

Khela's children have been staying at a friend's apartment. The family says they think their father is back at home and plan on breaking the news to them later this week.

A Gofundme page has been set up to help the family since Khela was the sole provider.