Former Waterloo man beaten to death in St
St. Louis police say they have arrested two juveniles and are seeking two other suspects after a Bosnian man was beaten to death with hammers. (Dec. Founded in 1846, AP has covered all the major news events of the past 165 years, providing high quality, informed reporting of everything from wars and elections to championship games and royal weddings. Join us in a conversation about world events, the newsgathering process or whatever aspect of the news universe you find interesting or important. LOUIS A former Waterloo resident who came to the United States to escape war died in a violent attack in St. Louis early Sunday. Eric Reid Jersey
Family and friends of Zemir Begic, a 32 year old Bosnian immigrant, are still looking for answers after he was beaten to death by hammer wielding teens.
"He was just one of those people who didn't know how to hurt a fly," said his cousin, Alma Dzehverovic of Waterloo.
In St. Louis, the slaying was met with protests as Bosnians spilled into the streets Sunday night to voice frustrations over violence touching their community.
"We're just angry because we're trying to protect our community," said Mirza Nukic, 29, of St. Louis. "We're just trying to be peaceful." Ahmad Brooks 49ers Jersey
Nukic was among at least 50 people most Bosnian who briefly blocked Gravois Avenue at Itaska Street on Sunday night to protest the killing. The intersection was near where Begic was attacked by at least three teens with hammers.
Many at the scene speculated the teens targeted Begic because of his Bosnian heritage. Ian Williams Jersey
But a St. Louis police spokeswoman, Schron Jackson, said investigators do not believe race played a role in Begic's death. Brandon Lloyd 49ers Jersey
One of the suspects, 17 year old Robert Mitchell of St. Louis, has been charged with first degree murder and being an armed criminal. Police also took two other males, ages 15 and 16, into custody. Services will be in Waterloo, relatives said.
Zemir Begic was born in the former Yugoslavia, and his family fled the country during the war in the 1990s, Dzehverovic said. She said Zemir Begic's grandmother was shot in the heart during the conflict in 1994 and died.
The family was placed in a refugee camp in Gasinci, Croatia, living in a mobile home like building without a kitchen or bathroom, Dzehverovic said. He moved to St. Louis several months ago and married a woman, Arijana, whose family lives in St. Louis.
Singing was one of his passions, and Dzehverovic said he liked performing Bosnian music.
"My husband used to own a bar and he'd do karaoke," she said. "He was full of life. He was one of those people, when he walked into the room he made your day. He always took care of his siblings." Daniel Kilgore 49ers Jersey
His father and uncles still live in Waterloo, and his siblings reside in South Dakota.
"He loved America," said Denisa Begic. "We come from Bosnia because we were getting killed, and our homes and families were getting destroyed. Never in my life did I think he would get murdered."
Homicide detectives don't believe the suspects took anything from the victim during the attack. Witnesses told police the victim and the suspect exchanged some words as Begic was walking past them on the way to his car, Jackson said. Chris Borland 49ers Jersey