Posted on 03/03/2008 12:51:37 PM PST by radar101
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Witnesses said a man in a business suit opened fire Monday in a Wendy's restaurant in West Palm Beach, killing one person and injuring at least four others before killing himself, WPBF News 25 reported.
The shooter, who is described by witnesses as a tall man wearing a baseball cap and a business suit, reportedly walked out of the bathroom of the Wendy's at Cherry Road and Military Trail around 12:18 p.m. Monday and shot a middle-aged white man standing by the railing near the front counter, killing him, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office spokesman Paul Miller said.
"He [the shooter] just came out of the bathroom, went behind the railing, and he had one victim unfortunately facing him, and he fired almost point-blank at that individual who is deceased in the restaurant," Miller said.
Miller told WPBF that the shooter then proceeded to "move from left to right," firing what is believed to be a 9-mm pistol at several other patrons inside the restaurant and hitting at least four others.
Miller said that the four injured victims were taken to local hospitals for treatment. Miller told WPBF that three of the survivors were in critical condition and two others had minor injuries, including one person who was not shot but was injured running away.
Witnesses told WPBF that all of the victims in the incident were customers. A statement from the Wendy's corporate office confirmed that no employees were hurt in the shooting.
Miller said that investigators are searching for other witnesses who were inside the restaurant at the time of the shooting who ran away. Miller told WPBF that several people fled the scene, some leaving their cars still running in the parking lot and drive-through.
Several lanes of Military Trail at Belvedere Road were closed while police investigated the scene.
A statement from the Wendy's corporate office detailed the company's condolences.
"This is a terrible and sad day for our restaurant and this community because this is a senseless tragedy. Our deepest thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families," the statement read.
A Wendy's spokesperson said that the restaurant is cooperating with the investigation and that the store's security cameras have been turned over to investigators.
Prozac user or abuser? Swift justice here for the perp; but none, whatsoever for the innocent who were targeted.
I find that interesting too. Police officers always conceal carry when on and off duty where they are allowed and have a backup (concealed) sidearm when in uniform.
This the guy?
Did this Wendy’s have a “No Firearms” sign in the window/at the entrace? Was this a gun-free zone?
Leisure suits! That's the ticket.
When was the last time it's been reported that a person in a leisure suit infamously made the news?
I'll stick to "none of your d@#n business". ; )
Because when seconds count, police are only minutes away.
You live in Montana and you don't carry?
"There was a lady who normally carried, but for some reason didn't that day -- reached into her purse and remembered that her pistol was at home."
Actually she had left it in her car, that was parked outside. Both her parents, whith whom she was eating, were killed.
From Wikipedia
" During the shooting, he approached Suzanna Gratia Hupp and her parents. Hupp had actually brought a handgun to the Luby's Cafeteria that day, but had left it in her vehicle due to the laws in force at the time, forbidding citizens from carrying firearms. According to her later testimony in favor of Missouri's HB-1720 bill[1] and in general [2][3], after she realized that her firearm was not in her purse, but "a hundred feet away in [her] car", her father charged at Hennard in an attempt to subdue him, only to be gunned down; a short time later, her mother was also shot and killed. (Hupp later expressed regret for abiding by the law in question by leaving her firearm in her car, rather than keeping it on her person[4].)"
... a remake of Death Wish.
And some people think I'm paranoid for carrying my .45 Kimber everywhere I go.
A black man in a suit? There's a joke in there somewhere.
I own but don’t carry. Not many people do carry in Montana. The main threat where I live is bears and mountain lions, not crime.
Why do you carry a .45?
Because they don't make a .46.
If it's made with beef they do. If it's made with pork, you need jalapenos.
"No Firearms" signs in Florida are meaningless. There is no law forbidding the carrying of firearms into Florida businesses (with a few exceptions).
That's just as good an answer as any other!
How are you this evening?
Because a cop won't fit in my holster.
Just damn. The poor guy gets shot and killed after he went back inside to get the cheap, plastic toy they forgot to put in his kid's meal.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.