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| NSB News photos by Henry Frederick |
NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Bullet holes permeate what's left of one of two windows shot through Monday night at Mystic gas station, 218 N. Dixie Freeway, by three gunmen who then drove off.
A video surveillance camera from within the station caught the action as glass went flying and 10 occupants inside ran for cover, including the cashier who was in the line of fire.
Nobody was hurt, but police are looking for three suspects in the 8:30 p.m. shooting. The shooters drove off, but police didn't indicate if they had gotten out of the vehicle first.
An employee who asked not to be identified Tuesday said he heard the shooting was sparked by a dispute between patrons and had nothing to do with the gas station at Dixie and Washington.
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"It as an ongoing thing between two people," the clerk said, adding he felt uneasy standing behind the counter next to a large plastic sheet that replaced a 4-foot wide by 10-foot high double glass plate window. The window next to it had several bullet holes. "It could be me next time."
A bevy of customers took the incident in stride. One patron buying beer around 6 p.m. joked to the clerk that he would "bust a cap in your (expletive)."
While several men sat on milk crates outside the gas station drinking beer from cans wrapped in brown paper bags, other patrons went about their business buying and pumping gas, picking up milk and bread, while still others bought lottery tickets, cigarettes and candy.
One woman patron who asked to remain anonymous said she was not surprised. "Look at the neighborhood here. What do you expect? But that doesn't mean the people here are bad just because of their race or if they ride bicycles."
Police have received periodic complaints of loitering and petty crimes at the 24-hour gas station. Last month an intoxicated man was taken to jail after coming back couple hours after receiving a trespass warning. A man and a woman known for prostitution were arrested there last month as well on disorderly conduct charges after she was spotted by an off-duty cop performing a sex act on a man with her hands in his car with her breasts exposed, police said.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call New Smyrna Beach police at (386) 424-2000.
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