A Miami man is expected to survive after being shot in the face by a 17-year-old at a Fort Pierce, Florida Tropical Smoothie Cafe.
According to the Fort Pierce Police Department’s Facebook page, the victim was a 39-year-old who was complaining that his order was taking to long at about 3:20 p.m. on Sunday. Police reported that the man “continued to rant when a black male, unknown age, entered the shop and confronted the disgruntled customer, shooting him in the face.”
The shooter then ran off but police described him as wearing black shorts, a black hoodie, and a black mask. There was a nearby apartment complex that police combed, but even with the help of a K-9 Unit, they were unable to find the suspect.
However, by Monday night, Fort Pierce police say they found their suspect, identifying him as a 17-year-old on their Facebook Page. Heavy is not naming the suspect since he is a minor.
Fort Pierce Police spokesperson, Mike Jachles, told Heavy that the 39-year-old ordered a sandwich that is no longer on the menu, and as the staff tried to make it for him he went on a “tirade.” That’s when the suspect walked into the cafe and “confronts the victim,” Jachles said. “Words are exchanged and it escalated quickly, and the suspect shot the victim in the face.”
The Shooting Is Still Under Investigation But There Are Many Unanswered Questions
What would prompt someone to walk into a store and get involved with a disgruntled customer? How long was the shooter in the cafe before he shot the Miami man? Why was the victim so angry about a special order sandwich taking long? What words were exchanged between the two men before the shooting? How did the victim survive a gunshot to the face? Did the shooter know any of the employees?
The case is still open and under investigation so Jachles said they can’t release more information.
One commenter on the Fort Pierce Police Facebook page asked, “The question is, how did the shooter know the man was in there ranting? Did he come in and observe it? Or did someone call him and tell him?”
Another commenter, Liz Joy, said it’s shocking to think that you can get shot simply for complaining about bad service, and she herself has “ranted” at that location because they “legit have terrible service.”
Joy said once when she was overcharged for her usual order, the cashier said, “that’s what the computer says so that’s what goes… I asked for a manager, she told me she was the manager!! I wrote a letter, but to think that some low life coward could have shot me in the face for sharing my opinion just makes me ill. Are any of us really safe anymore? Prayers for the victim!!!”
The Suspect Was Taken to a Juvenile Detention Center After Being Found Through ‘Dedicated, Good Police Work’
Fort Pierce Police’s Facebook page said that the man who was shot was listed in the hospital Monday morning in serious condition but that he would recover.
Jachles told Heavy they found the suspect by using “dedicated good police work and collaboration in this department.”
The suspect is charged with felony attempted murder and was taken to a Juvenile Detention Center.
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