Detectives assigned to the Metropolitan Police Department's Homicide Branch are currently investigating a death which occurred inside of a business establishment located at 2300 Fourth Street, NE.

On Tuesday, August 18, 2009, at approximately 12:20 pm, members of the Fifth District were flagged down by a concerned citizen to check on the welfare of the owner of the Pizza Mart located at 2300 Fourth Street, NE. Upon entering the establishment, an adult male was observed unconscious and unresponsive lying on the floor.  DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department personnel responded and determined that there were no signs of life.  The decedent has been identified as 44-year-old Shahabuddin Rana of the 800 block of Sligo Avenue in Silver Spring, Maryland.

The cause and manner of death of the decedent are pending an autopsy to be performed by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the District of Columbia; however, the death is being investigated as a homicide at this time.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call police at (202) 727-9099 or 1-888-919-CRIM[E] (1-888-919-2746). The Metropolitan Police Department is currently offering a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone who provides information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for any homicide committed in the District of Columbia.

Anonymous information may also be forwarded to the department's Crime Solvers Unit at 1-866- 411-TIPS and to the department's TEXT TIP LINE by text messaging 50411. If the information provided by a caller to Crime Solvers leads to an arrest and indictment, that caller will be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.