St. Paul MN Sept 30 2009
It wasn't clear Tuesday why Malcolm Cowens stopped in at Avi's Pawn and Jewelry on Monday evening. What is clear is that the genial, 33-year-old businessman's stop put him in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Cowens was the only customer in the Richfield pawn shop around 6:15 p.m. when two men -- one dressed as a security guard -- entered and demanded money as they held guns on Cowens and the clerk behind the counter. Security cameras captured the movements of all four.
Suddenly, one of the robbers fired a single shot. Where he was aiming is unknown, but the bullet grazed the clerk and struck Cowens in the back. The robbers fled the bloody scene with a small amount of money.
Andy "Avi" Strauss, the owner of the shop, said the unidentified employee was expected to recover from his wound. But Cowens, a fun-loving boxing fan known to his family as the "happy warrior" because of his cheerful disposition, died at Hennepin County Medical Center.
"He was happiness when we were all together," said his twin sister, Christina Cowens-Gholson. "Sunday dinners. Family gatherings. He was one of the first ones to say 'I love you.' Malcolm was always trying to make everybody smile. ... No matter what, he was always full of life and love."
Strauss offered a $1,000 reward Tuesday for the capture of the two men as police urged the public to study the unusually clear security photos and call with leads.
"An individual was murdered here in my store last night over a little money, and we're focused on capturing the murderers," Strauss said outside the store at 6414 Nicollet Av. S. Strauss said Cowens, who was not a regular, was simply "in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Strauss said he and his wife have owned the store for the past three years. "I'm angry," he said. "It's like my home. Someone came into my house and killed someone. And it's unacceptable."
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Cowens was the only customer in the Richfield pawn shop around 6:15 p.m. when two men -- one dressed as a security guard -- entered and demanded money as they held guns on Cowens and the clerk behind the counter. Security cameras captured the movements of all four.
Suddenly, one of the robbers fired a single shot. Where he was aiming is unknown, but the bullet grazed the clerk and struck Cowens in the back. The robbers fled the bloody scene with a small amount of money.
Andy "Avi" Strauss, the owner of the shop, said the unidentified employee was expected to recover from his wound. But Cowens, a fun-loving boxing fan known to his family as the "happy warrior" because of his cheerful disposition, died at Hennepin County Medical Center.
"He was happiness when we were all together," said his twin sister, Christina Cowens-Gholson. "Sunday dinners. Family gatherings. He was one of the first ones to say 'I love you.' Malcolm was always trying to make everybody smile. ... No matter what, he was always full of life and love."
Strauss offered a $1,000 reward Tuesday for the capture of the two men as police urged the public to study the unusually clear security photos and call with leads.
"An individual was murdered here in my store last night over a little money, and we're focused on capturing the murderers," Strauss said outside the store at 6414 Nicollet Av. S. Strauss said Cowens, who was not a regular, was simply "in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Strauss said he and his wife have owned the store for the past three years. "I'm angry," he said. "It's like my home. Someone came into my house and killed someone. And it's unacceptable."
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