Every two weeks for the past 10 years, Nelson Ortega has sat down in Mohammad Abuhashish’s Irving Park barber chair and gotten a fresh trim. Friday morning was supposed to be no different.
But when Ortega arrived for his standing haircut this week, the shop was still closed. Abuhashish never made it to their appointment.
The 34-year-old barber and business owner was found fatally shot Thursday night inside a Portage Park smoke shop, according to loved ones, Chicago police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Friends say Abuhashish, of Norridge, leaves behind four children and his wife, who’s pregnant with their fifth child. Police had made no arrests as of Saturday morning.
“It’s just felt so surreal,” Ortega said, “that you can have a conversation with someone and then a week later, he’s not around anymore.”
Officers responded to calls of shots fired in the 5600 block of West Irving Park Road just after 9:30 p.m. When they arrived, they found Abuhashish unresponsive in AbuHashish Smoke Shop with a gunshot wound to his throat, per police and the medical examiner’s office. He was transported to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, where he was later pronounced dead.
City and online state business license records show Abuhashish was the registered agent for a smoke shop at 5612 W. Irving Park Road. The shop holds two active business licenses with the city, one for tobacco and another for retail food, according to the records. Both licenses were renewed a week ago.
Abuhashish had been an entrepreneur on the city’s Northwest Side for years, according to business records and friends, with ventures including the smoke shop and Moe’s Barber Shop at 4005 N. Elston Ave. He was hardworking, generous and kind, loved ones told the Tribune.
The community’s love for Abuhashish was on display Saturday afternoon as a small memorial was set up outside the front door of the AbuHashish Smoke Shop. Lit candles flickered in the wind as four colorful bouquets sat propped against the building’s brick facade along with a homemade sign that says “We love you, rest in peace Moe.”
Abuhashish moved to Chicago when he was around 16 years old, friends said. From Jordan, he’d emigrated to make a better life for himself and his family.
“It’s everybody’s dream to come to the U.S. and become a successful person, you know?” said longtime family friend Akram Sukar Ijbara.
Ijbara had known Abuhashish since he arrived in Chicago as a teen. Abuhashish’s uncle, who was a close friend of Ijbara’s, introduced them. Through Abuhashish’s first few years living in Chicago, Ijbara looked after him, he said. Ijbara also looked after Abuhashish’s younger brother, who followed Abuhashish to Chicago.
“I felt like I was their older brother,” Ijbara said.
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Ijbara received news of the shooting early Friday morning. “I’m still in shock,” Ijbara said in a call Thursday night, choking back sobs. “I still can’t believe this is happening.”
In the wake of the shooting, State Rep. Lindsey LaPointe (D-Portage Park) said her office was in contact with Jefferson Park District (16th) police leadership, who relayed “detectives are actively working on the case and reviewing area camera footage.”
Police said a witness had observed an unknown male offender running on foot moments after gunfire was heard Thursday night.
Ald. Nick Sposato, 38th, said that to the best of his knowledge, there were never any problems reported at the smoke shop.
The last time Ortega saw Abuhashish was two weeks ago, for his last haircut at Moe’s Barber Shop. He said his last conversation with Abuhashish was about kids.
“I was telling him that I was gonna have a baby,” Ortega said. “I had told him that you know, I would love to have my baby’s first haircut by him.”
Ortega met Abuhashish by chance a decade ago. He’d recently moved to the Avondale area and was looking for a new barber when he found Moe’s.
“They welcomed me,” he said.
Over years of haircuts, he and Abuhashish grew to know each other. They’d talk about anything and everything — cars, family, sports, what was going on in the world. Abuhashish was always cheerful and optimistic, Ortega said.
Ortega took to social media Friday to remember his friend. Under his post, condolences and comments poured in, some from other clients and community members, each recalling their own time with Abuhashish.
“He had touched so many people’s lives,” Ortega said.
Tribune reporter Allison Kiehl contributed to this report.
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