Store clerk shoots customer in face over slot machine winnings
Atlanta GA Sept 11 2021 A Georgia man is recovering after a food mart clerk allegedly shot him in the face during a dispute over cashing winnings from a gaming machine, authorities say.
The alleged incident unfolded Wednesday night inside the Marathon Food Mart in southwest Atlanta, according to a police report obtained by McClatchy News.
An officer on patrol in the area was flagged down by two men in a black minivan, one of whom was suffering from a gunshot wound.
The man who had been shot told police he’d won about $800 on a gaming machine inside the store. He said he went to the counter to retrieve his winnings, but the clerk refused to pay the full amount.
That’s when he got upset, according to the police report, and started ransacking the store. The clerk allegedly came out from behind the counter, and a verbal dispute between the two men ensued.
As the victim was readying to leave the store, he said, the clerk opened fire, striking him in the chin.
A witness drove the man to a nearby fire station for help before he was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital.
By the time officers arrived at the food mart, the clerk had left and closed up shop for the night, WAGA reported, citing police. Authorities haven’t released the clerk’s name, and it’s unclear whether charges will be filed.
