According to Addo's long time friend Okaiteye, who told the police that Addo was helping a customer who asked for a drug that he did not have a prescription for on Monday. Addo told the man that he needed a prescription, and the man got angry. The man then went to his car and came back and shot Addo several times in the face. But details remain unclear and Okaiteye said he's heard conflicting stories.
Growing up in Ghana, Addo, the father of an 11-month-old daughter, was always interested in medicine and eventually pursued a career as a pharmacist. He moved to London and later to Chicago before moving to the Detroit area for an internship, said his longtime friend George Nii Okaiteye of Chicago.
"Mike was a type who was ambitious, he was looking to open his own pharmacy in Ghana,". "He loved people, he loved to make friends and basically he was a type who wouldn't argue." Okaiteye said
Teresa Spears, of Lansing, who visited the Rite Aid store several times each week said "He's an angel," "I'm not exaggerating." "He's one of the kindest people I've ever met. It's just been a tragedy. I've not been able to stop crying," she said. Addo would ask regular customers about their families, and he didn't hesitate to walk customers to the aisle where they could find the remedy they needed. "You look forward to going in there and seeing him because he just brightens your day," said Spears, who considers Addo part of her family. She has reached out to his family members.
Addo worked for Rite Aid since 2009 and was well-liked by both colleagues and customers, said Rite Aid spokeswoman Ashley Flower. "Our hearts and prayers go out to Michael's family, friends and co-workers … he will be sorely missed," Flower said in an email. Addo's neighbor, Anna McMurphy, echoed many of his customers' sentiments when she described him as a very pleasant man who would always smile.
