NSBNews.net was involved in a drive-by shooting at the Mystic gas station as well, but we were not armed with a handgun. We had a small hand-held digital camera. The kind with rapid fire response.
We shot several people hanging around in front of the convenience/gas station at 218 N. Dixie Freeway just before midnight Wednesday as we slowly drove south -- one of us behind the wheel and the other in the passenger seat behind the lens.
One guy drinking a beer wrapped in a brown paper bag yelled out, "Look, we are on TV."
Not quite pal, but you did make the Internet.
A woman with a tight red blouse that made it obvious she was bra-less yelled out, "Say cheese for the camera," as she made a lewd gesture with her assets.
Several other still milled around on bicycles -- smoking what we believe were cigarettes while a couple others just sat on milk crates drinking what else, beer they had just purchased. Oh, and someone was actually pumping gas.
And to think there was a drive-by shooting at this very gas station less than 48 hours earlier, in which gunmen in a car fired at least eight rounds into the front of the gas station, with 10 people inside ducking for cover as a 4-foot wide by 10-foot tall double plate glass was reduced to shards of glass and a second window withstood a few rounds. The shooting was reportedly in response to an earlier altercation between two patrons
New Smyrna Beach Mayor Sally Mackay said violence like this is not acceptable and she hopes those involved are caught. Police Cmdr. Wade Kirby said he couldn't say much except an investigation is ongoing.
Kirby did release statistics on police calls to Mystic in the 12 months preceding the shooting, which shows 61 incidents, one armed robbery, several domestic fights and the rest mostly petty crimes and complaints -- including half a dozen larcenies, nine traffic stops, six disturbances other than domestic, eight suspicious persons, incidents or vehicles, and the list goes on.
Mystic, along with 7-Eleven, which is about a half mile north on Dixie Freeway, and the Circle K on State Road 44, are all open 24 hours a day.
Getting rid of those milk crates out front would be a step in the right direction to discourage loitering.
If the gas stations can't police themselves, then perhaps the city needs to step in and put an end to overnight service. After all, the police can't be there 24 hours a day.
One customer told me people shouldn't make judgments about the people hanging out, especially their race and that they might be riding bicycles. "Look at the neighborhood," she said. "What do you expect? If the owner can make money and this is his marketplace that is his right."
Absolutely this is the right of Mystic's owner, whoever he or she or they might be. Race has nothing to do with this situation.
It is about taking responsibility.
Clean up the premises, put up prominent "no loitering" or "no trespassing" signs, put in better lighting and hire extra help, if necessary.
Call the police as many times as it takes to get rid of trouble-makers. Don't wait for these gunmen to come back or some other thugs to unload on innocent people just going about their business.
All it takes is one errant bullet and a life can be cut down just like that. Then what?
Again, removing those milk crates so there's no place to sit in front would vastly improve the situation.