Father killed in front of son after reportedly accusing stranger of 'looking too hard' at girlfriend
A father was shot dead in front of his son after reportedly getting into an argument with a stranger inside a pharmacy.
Anthony Souvenir was inside a Walgreens store with his one-year-old son and girlfriend when he allegedly had a heated encounter with a stranger, Jamie Taylor, at around 11.20am on February 3.
The 27-year-old reportedly accused Taylor of staring at his significant other, who told the authorities he had been putting money on his Cash App when Souvenir and his family entered the Miramar, Florida, store.
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According to CBS News, Taylor said he was accused of 'looking too hard' at the woman and then claimed he walked away and spoke to someone else on the phone.
During questioning with police, Souvenir apparently overheard the phone conversation but thought Taylor was making a comment towards him.
"I'm not even (expletive) talking to you, I’m on the (expletive) phone,” Souvenir’s girlfriend said she heard Taylor say.
The misunderstanding escalated when Souvenir noticed Taylor had a gun and apparently said: “I see you got one; I got one too."
Taylor told police officers he was concerned the argument was going to break out into physical violence and pulled out his gun.
When he saw the father reach into his backpack, allegedly to get his own gun, Taylor fired his weapon and fled the scene.
Panic took over the Walgreens as witnesses made desperate calls to 911.
Souvenir's girlfriend told the dispatcher: "Hello, my boyfriend got shot in Walgreens," before saying it was 'some random guy' that 'ran off'.
Other shoppers also said they were afraid the shooter was going to come back.
Souvenir was on the floor in the store when he was gunned down but was pronounced dead when he was at a nearby hospital.
After the shooting, Taylor fled the scene but then turned himself into Miramar police.
A fundraising page set up by Souvenir's mom says the victim was 'ver3y[sic] respectful and loving'.
The GoFundMe adds: "His best quality was his big heart. He was thoughtful, alway putting other first. He was an amazing father. He loved his son and had big dreams for him."
The fundraiser also reveals the family had already endured a tough time after his mom, Linda Souvenir, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year.
"As you can imagine this diagnose had been such a financial strain for me and my family," the fundraiser continued. "Now to hit with another devastated blow while still trying to recover emotionally, physically mentally and financially. Losing my son had made this recovery process difficult.
"Also he was an amazing support to his loving family. It breaks my heart that he will never get a chance to see his son become the great man that he wanted him to be."
Taylor was then arrested and charged with second-degree murder and is being held without bail at Broward County Jail, according to The New York Post.
He appeared before court where he was appointed a public defender and indicated he plans to challenge the charges against him.
Topics: Florida, Community, GoFundMe, Gun Crime, Crime, Court
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