Just hours after Hurricane Helene swept through the Big Bend region of Florida, causing widespread destruction throughout the area and beyond, an attempted robbery at a local weed store escalated into a fatal shooting. With law enforcement stretched thin responding to numerous storm-related emergencies, a pair of robbers sought to take advantage of the distraction and targeted the Florida Hemp Distribution store on West Tennessee Street, the Tallahassee Democrat reported.
The Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) was called to the scene around 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27 to investigate the shooting, which has since become a homicide investigation. According to Alex Petrick, co-owner of the store, the shooting was a matter of self-defense by the store’s lone employee.
Petrick recounted that two men entered the store and confronted the employee on duty, prompting him to draw his firearm. The employee allegedly issued a warning to the would-be robbers, saying, “Leave, leave. Don’t make me do this,” according to Petrick.
Despite the clear warning, at least one of the suspects didn’t believe he would pull the trigger and continued to move toward the employee, who continued backing up until he was against a literal wall. With no choice left, he fired his gun, striking and killing the criminal.
The second suspect fled the scene as soon as he saw the firearm, Petrick told the Democrat. No other employees or customers were present at the time of the incident.
After the shooting, TPD questioned the employee for several hours before releasing him without charges. Petrick noted the investigation remains open and authorities have not confirmed many of the details he provided to the newspaper.
TPD spokesperson Heather Merritt stated that the incident is still an active investigation, with interviews ongoing with all involved parties.
As the community grapples with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the shooting has become a stark reminder of the challenges and dangers that can arise in times of crisis. With another potentially catastrophic hurricane on its way to make landfall in Florida this evening, Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state and local law enforcement officials have warned against looting as well as advised criminals not to take advantage of the chaos from the disaster to further victimize Florida residents.
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