A memorial service at was held at the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church Thursday evening for Gitem Demissie, age 41, of Nashville.
Demissie was shot multiple times by a masked gunman inside his own restaurant along Murfreesboro Pike early Sunday morning.
At the service, thousands watched as priests pushed Demissie's coffin inside of the church.
During the service, family and friends prayed and shared memories about Demissie and his impact on the Nashville Community.
"Whether we know him or not, it doesn't matter. It's the fact that this happened to a very innocent person. This happened while he was working, while he was trying to win for a better life, this has touched everybody," Tewodros Tashu - Ethopian Community Public Relations Officer said.
People came from as far as Seattle, Washington and Dallas, Texas to remember the businessman.
Friends said Gitem had plans to return to Ethiopia to celebrate his wedding engagement with family and friends.
"He was so busy working day and night here, he didn't get any chance to visit his family before. So he was planning to go after in a couple of weeks," Orthodox priest Mesfin Tesemma said.
Gitem's body will be flown back to Ethiopia on Friday.
Funeral arrangements will be planned for early next week.
