The attendant killed Wednesday morning at the Gulf gas station in Brundidge has been identified as Neil Purush Kumar, a graduate student at Troy University.

“The Troy University community is shocked and saddened by this act of violence and we extend our deepest condolences to Neil’s family and friends,” Troy officials released in a statement Wednesday.
“The Office of International Programs has been in contact with his family and is offering support and assistance.”

Kumar was found dead inside the gas station, also known as the J and S Buy Rite, by a customer Wednesday morning and reported to police at approximately 6:40 a.m. with a gunshot wound to the head.

Jhirmal White, who works nearby, said he often stops by the station for lunch and that he always found Kumar to be a “pleasant and nice” attendant.

“He was always willing to help someone,” White said. “There were times someone would be a little short for what they were trying to buy and he’d pay the balance out of pocket.”

Mayor Isabell Boyd said she and city officials are “terribly upset and saddened” by the incident.

“We’re deeply saddened for the young man, his family and the town,” Boyd said. “It’s a terrible unreal thing to happen.”

Police are currently reviewing surveillance footage of the incident looking for more evidence. They say the suspect was heavily covered and that Kumar appeared to be complying with the suspect’s commands before the shooting occurred. The suspect then walked around the counter and shot Kumar at close range before taking an undisclosed amount of cash from the register.

The gas station is just a block away from the police station.

Brundidge Police Chief Moses Davenport said these crimes had typically happened in big cities, but have increasingly moved into smaller towns in recent years.

“There is nowhere that is immune,” he said.

The crime remains under investigation by the Brundidge Police Department, the Troy Police Department, the Pike County Sheriff’s Office, Troy University Police Department, Pike County Coroner’s Office and the Pike County District Attorney’s Office.