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Victim talking to FOX 35 about incident inside Publix
FOX 35 News spoke with a man who says he stared down the barrel of a gun inside a Publix during an interaction with another customer. Police are still searching for the suspect.
ORLANDO, Fla. - A 73-year-old Orlando man named Jerry says his life flashed before his eyes at the deli counter at the Publix on Kirkman Road when a stranger pulled out a gun and pointed it directly at him.
“When I heard the hammer being pulled back…he cocked it, I said, 'Oh geeze!'”
Orlando police detectives just released video of the suspect pushing a cart full of Mother’s Day balloons and flowers through the grocery store, calmly shopping for steaks. Fast-forward a few minutes and Jerry described what other surveillance video shows: a man in a blue FILA t-shirt wearing a mask, gloves and a hat standing behind him.
“He was fidgety, because the people ahead of us they were asking for too many things on their sandwich. So he was mumbling and cussing and I thought that was unusual and weird,” Jerry said.
For some reason, the man’s eyes suddenly became glued on Jerry.
“I said, ‘Do we know each other?’ And I smiled. Maybe that probably set him off,’” Jerry explained.
Next thing he knew, Jerry said the man pulled a pistol out of his waistband and shoved him.
“He trained it at me [the gun] like this and I said, 'Dude, what’s going on?' The whole time he had the gun barrel between here and here,” Jerry said, pointing at his chest.
Police said the gun was pointed at Jerry for at least eight seconds.
“Looking at the barrel I was expecting to hear a pop and me drop.”
Shoppers started frantically yelling and screaming, trying to alert others in the store of a man with a gun.
“It was like a stampede. He pivots to his left and started walking very fast and put his gun back in the pants,” Jerry said.
Then Orlando Police said the suspect walked out of the store, blending in with other customers. Jerry realizes he could have been killed.
“The Lord is good to me and when it’s your time, it’s your time,” Jerry said, admittig that he’s still pretty shaken by the experience.
Orlando Police are asking if you recognize the man, that you call OPD or Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477).