Talaal Ali was with his younger brother and three friends to get ice cream from a Dania Beach gas station Thursday night when a gunman started shooting.
Investigators said the gunman opened fire on another man in a van in the 7-Eleven parking lot on Stirling Road before going inside the store and killing Ali's brother, 11-year-old Syed Naabigh Ali. He later turned the gun on himself.
"It just breaks my heart to know I was there with him when it happened and I couldn't do anything,” 20-year-old Ali said. "I wish I could've done more for him, I wish we caught the signs and we didn't go to the ice cream store."
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Ali said they saw the gunman — later identified as 29-year-old Darren Rosenthal — staring at them when they got to the store.
A witness told NBC6 he saw the gunman shoot someone in the neck, walk into the store, shoot the child, and then shoot himself.
The shooting victim in the van was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition. His identity wasn't released.
Local
BSO officials said the motive for the shooting was unknown and appears to be a random act. They don't believe Rosenthal knew the victims.
Ali said his brother was kind and a genius. He was about to graduate from the 5th grade.
"He beat my dad in chess the other day and it wasn't close,” Ali said.
On Friday, family, friends and the Islamic community laid the young boy to rest.
Ali said the support from the community is helping, but it's hard. He said he spoke out because he wants to see a change and he hopes more is done at gas stations to keep customers safe.
"I lost my 11-year-old brother right in front of me, what's next, how long,” Ali said. "I do not wish this on anyone ever."
