What report reveals about moments before employee shooting at Durham restaurant
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Mohamed Aly was killed in a shooting at Randy’s Pizza in Durham last month.
- Aly’s coworker, Isaiah Rawlinson, is accused of shooting him after an argument.
- Rawlinson was reportedly detained by an armed patron after the shooting.
A fatal encounter between two employees at a Durham pizza restaurant last month was allegedly preceded by an argument, according to an autopsy report released to The News & Observer .
Mohamed Aly, 30, was fatally shot about 4:45 p.m. Feb. 26 at the Randy’s Pizza on South Miami Boulevard, The N&O previously reported. Isaiah Rawlinson, 30, is charged with first-degree murder in his death.
Both men worked at the pizza shop, where a bystander called police as the shooting was taking place, according to 911 calls. An armed patron at the restaurant detained Rawlinson until police arrived, 911 records indicate.
“You just killed that guy,” the patron can be heard saying in a 911 call released to The N&O. “I saw you shoot him down and shoot him when he was on the ground.”
Aly and Rawlinson allegedly got into an argument behind the counter of the restaurant in the moments before the shooting, according to an investigative report from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
“The pair were yelling at each other, then began to scuffle, before other employees told them to cool down,” the report states. “They stepped away from each other, then began to have words again, at which point [Aly] threw a glove at the other male.”
At that point, according to the report, Rawlinson allegedly stepped back, pulled a 9 millimeter handgun out of his front pocket and shot Aly three times. After Aly fell to the kitchen floor, Rawlinson allegedly walked over and shot him another two times, then left through the front door of the restaurant, the report states.
Rawlinson reportedly had a facial fracture when officers arrested him, though it’s not clear how he sustained the injury, according to the report. Cameras in the store and multiple customers witnessed the shooting play out.
Aly sustained at least six gunshot wounds, according to the autopsy report released to The N&O last week. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Rawlinson was indicted on a charge of first-degree murder March 16, court records show. He remained in the Durham County jail Wednesday without bail.
This story was originally published March 30, 2026 at 4:03 PM.
