NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The murder of a convenience store owner has turned into a search for the shooters.

Shooting Kills Nashville Market Owner

The owner of Omid's Market in south Nashville, Ebadolla Ghorbani, died after a shooting at the store on Rains Avenue.

Police are now searching for two robbers they said shot Ghorbani in the chest around 7:30 p.m Monday.

Officers said that Ghorbani's son wrestled with the man inside while Ghorbani and his wife tried to keep the gunman out. The gunman forced his way back into the store and shot Ghorbani.

"Mr. Ghorbani eventually had to relent. The door came open. The gunman came back inside and it was at that point that the shot was fired and Mr. Ghorbani was hit," said Metro Police Spokesman Don Aaron.

"He was a good guy. I always called him Poppy," said one frequent customer.

Neighbors said this is not the first time that the market has been robbed.

Ghorbani is an immigrant from Iran. Friends of his said he endured time as a political prisoner while living there and also taught at a university while living in his home country.

"It's just a shame for him to come over here to America ... and for all of that to be taken from him this way is just a shame. There's a lot more to his history that just a convenience store operator, owner," said Dennis Pitts, a neighbor of Ghorbani.

Surveillance video revealed the two men were wearing hooded sweatshirts.

Metro police were reviewing the tape on Tuesday to see if they could determine the identity of the shooters.