Shamima Rabbi, left and Golam Rabbi, were found dead in their San Jose home. (Facebook)
A Muslim couple was found dead in their San Jose, California, home on Sunday along with a note saying, “Sorry, my first kill was clumsy,” ABC 7 News reports.
Shamima Rabbi, 57, and her husband, Golam Rabbi, 59, were found dead at about 1:45 p.m., San Jose Police said in a press release.
Their sons, Hasib Bin Golam Rabbi, 22, and an unnamed 17-year-old, have been arrested in connection with the murders, NBC Bay Area reports.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. They Were Both Found Shot Dead Alongside the Chilling Ink-Scrawled Message
Officers responded to the home of Golam and Shamima Rabbi in the 3000 block Lucas Court at 1:47 p.m. on Sunday, San Jose Police said in a statement.
The husband and wife were found dead, with both shot at least once, police said.
It is not yet clear when they were killed. According to ABC 7 News, family and friends entered the couple’s home on Sunday through an unlocked sliding glass door after not hearing from them for several days.
According to NBC Bay Area, the couple’s nephew found them dead near the home’s laundry room.
Alongside the bodies was a note written in ink on the hardwood floor stating, “Sorry, my first kill was clumsy,” according to the news station.
A second note said, “I can’t be like you, telling a lie. I can’t love someone without telling them,” NBC Bay Area reports.
The news station says the parents didn’t agree with their oldest son’s sexual orientation.
“It’s the most shocking news in my life,” their nephew, Golam Mustakim, told the San Francisco Chronicle. “I was very close to them with all my heart. I have no words to explain how I am feeling. I want to believe they are still alive. I want the killer to be found. I want to know why it was necessary to kill them like that.”
2. Their Sons Are Being Held Without Bail
(Facebook)
Hasib Rabbi, whose listed in jail records as Hasib Golamrabbi, is being held at the Count of Santa Clara Jail without bail, according to the jail’s online database. He was booked Thursday and is due in court Friday.
His 17-year-old brother, who has not been named, is being held at a juvenile detention center after being taken into custody in San Jose, according to the San Jose Mercury News.
3. Golam & Shamima Immigrated to the United States From Bangladesh Several Decades Ago
Golam and Shamima Rabbi. (Facebook)
The couple moved to the United States from Bangladesh several decades ago, their friends told ABC 7 News.
Golam Rabbi worked as an engineer and also taught at a local junior college, according to his Facebook page.
Shamima Rabbi was an accountant who graduated from San Jose State University in 1995, according to her Linkedin profile. She worked at Thermo Fisher Scientific, Terrasat Communications, Nuanace Communications and ArrayComm.
Golam Rabbi’s Facebook page shows several photos of trips the couple took, including to Canada, China and their native Bangladesh.
4. Golam Rabbi Liked to Hunt & Had Several Guns in His Home
Golam and Shamima Rabbi with their sons in an undated photo. (Facebook)
Family friends said Golam Rabbi liked to hunt and had several guns in the house, according to KTVU.
“I just said be careful,” a friend, Hasan Rahim, told KTVU. “If you have weapons in the house be careful.
Golam Rabbi and his wife were both shot to death. Police have not said if he was killed with a gun he owned.
5. Friends From Their Mosque Called Them ‘Humble, Polite & Peaceful’
The couple were members of the South Bay Islamic Association and the Evergreen Islamic Center.
The South Bay Islamic Association issued a statement:
With heavy hearts, we would like to announce that Br. Golam and Sr. Shamima Rabbi, long-time residents of the Evergreen Community and volunteers at EIC and SBIA, passed away earlier today. The circumstances of their passing are still under investigation and therefore details of the Janaza/Burial are yet to be announced.
We ask Allah (swt) to forgive the deceased, shower His mercy on them, and make their graves a garden from paradise. In addition, we extend our deepest condolences to the family and ask Allah (swt) to grant them strength and patience during this most difficult time.
A member of the Evergreen Islamic Center mosque, Hasan Rahim, told ABC 7 News the couple were humble, polite and peaceful.
“So that’s why it’s so difficult to reconcile to the tragic, violent end to such simple, gentle souls,” Rahim told the news station.
