Slain LSU student was set to be married in December, friend says

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Md Firoz Firoz-Ul-Amin won’t be there to meet his fiancé at a wedding ceremony scheduled in December.

His life ended Saturday, Sept. 7 when an unidentified man entered the building where he was working as a clerk and fatally shot him before robbing the store, according to police. An investigation to identify the shooter remains ongoing.

Known to his friends as Firoz, the manager of the Mr. Lucky’s gas station says he was much more than just the person that runs the cash register. He was a stand-up guy, he says.

“Very, very gentle. He’s a very nice man. A very good man actually,” said Nasir Bhuiyan, the manager.

Bhuiyan says he was hosting a party for friends Friday night, so Firoz took over the shift. The doctoral student at LSU, studying computer science with a focus on cyber security, had recently started working at the gas station part-time. Bhuiyan says the most puzzling part is not knowing what led his friend to unlock the door. He says after midnight, customers are serviced through the window.

He’s remembered by colleagues, who are still trying to process the loss, as a gifted researcher.

“He was a very decent person. A pretty nice guy. And, he was very helpful,” said Shifat Mithila, a friend of Firoz-Ul-Amin who participated in the Bangladeshi Students’ Association with him. “We’re shocked. We’re shocked and devastated. It’s not something you expect to happen and it’s not something you can accept really quickly.”

Mithila says her thoughts are with Firoz-Ul-Amin’s family.

Dr. Evangelos Triantaphyllou, a professor in the Division of Computer Science and Engineering, says Firoz was dedicated to his work as a student. Firoz served as a teacher’s assistant for Triantaphyllou in 2018.

“I feel immense sadness that this brilliant future will not materialize,” he said.

He was the only son of his parents, and the family was already dealing with the emotional toll of losing Firoz-Ul-Amin’s father, Mithila said.

As everyone in Firoz-Ul-Amin’s life begins the healing process after his death, Mithila says their only hope is that the person who took the beloved student from his mother, fiance, family, and friends is caught.

“I’m requesting the police please find the person who did this," said Mithlia. “His family needs justice...We need justice.”

Triantaphyllou says students and faculty want to make sure their friend’s life always has meaning. They want to make this horrific situation, positive in some way.

“That will be the best. I believe if he could talk to us, he would agree,” his professor said.

That something positive is a scholarship fund. Faculty and staff want to create a prestigious award that would be used to motivate students.

Anyone with information is asked to call the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office at 225-389-5000 or Crime Stoppers at 225-344-7867.

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