Shooting at Wendy's near West Palm Beach, Florida

[Hum]

Updated

WEST PALM BEACH, FL (AP) -- A gunman in a jacket, tie and baseball cap wordlessly opened fire inside a Wendy's during the lunchtime rush Monday, killing a paramedic who had gone back to fetch the right toy to go with his child's meal and wounding five others. The 60-year-old shooter then committed suicide.

''This was not a robbery. He didn't demand anything,'' said Paul Miller, a Palm Beach County sheriff's spokesman. ''Looks like this was just another random shooting like we've seen around the United States.''

The 42-year-old victim, Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Lt. Rafael Vazquez, who was not in uniform, had met his wife and child at the restaurant during a break in training down the street, Deputy Fire-Rescue Chief Steve Delai said. The family had gotten their food and walked out, but Vazquez returned because the wrong free toy had been included in the kids' meal, detectives said.

Vazquez's wife, a law enforcement officer in nearby Palm Springs, and child were in the parking lot when he was shot in the back as he stood at the counter.

''Our officer probably didn't even see him,'' Delai said of the gunman, Alburn Edward Blake.

Miller said Blake, a handyman and maintenance worker, had no relation to anyone at the restaurant and had never worked for Wendy's, and authorities had not found any notes.

''We don't know why he picked this location to do this horrible deed,'' he said.

Vazquez had been promoted in January and was attending a course called ''Strategy and Tactics'' before taking his lunch break. Delai said the course teaches officers how to ''manage large-scale incidents like we had today.''

The mayhem unfolded just after noon during the lunch hour rush at the eatery on a major suburban road lined with strip malls, car dealerships and fast food restaurants, about five miles from downtown West Palm Beach. A billboard advertising an upcoming gun show stands just behind the Wendy's.

Blake entered the restaurant and went to a restroom before coming out brandishing a 9 mm handgun, Miller said. About 10 to 15 people were in the restaurant at the time, he said.

Ashley Milton, 28, said she had just opened the door to get lunch when she heard the ''pop pop'' of gunfire and saw people running.

''I really didn't think that's what it was. I thought this can't be happening,'' she said. ''You see your life flash before your eyes.''

Josh Maynard, 30, said he and his 20-year-old brother Jerry hit the floor when Blake opened fire. Jerry Maynard said the shooter held his gun sideways and said nothing.

Three of the survivors were hospitalized and stable, Miller said. They included a 43-year-old man, a 16-year-old girl, and a 65-year-old man and his 62-year-old wife. Two others had minor injuries, including one person who was injured while running away.

''I just saw a lady with a little boy in her arms come running out screaming, 'Somebody's shooting!''' said Sandra Jackson, who had been getting gas across the street. The woman said her husband was still inside, said Jackson, 43, of Palm Springs.

When the shooting stopped, the Maynard brothers ran out of the restaurant. Josh Maynard's blue jeans were torn and his brown leather boots were sliced, damage he said was caused by a bullet that grazed him as he lay on the floor.

''It felt like somebody kicked me in the foot,'' he said.

One customer kicked the pistol away from the gunman after he shot himself, then started first aid on the wounded, Miller said.

Blake owned a maintenance company until 2003, according to public records. A 1996 story in The Palm Beach Post reported that he accidentally ran over an 18-month-old girl with his van, seriously injuring her. The story said he had a young daughter who would now be a teenager.

Neighbors described Blake as a quiet man who kept to himself. Michele Grippe watched police go into Blake's apartment after the shooting to search it.

''The only thing they took out of the house was a bag of pills,'' Grippe said. ''Right now, I'm really, really shocked. ... I'm here with my kids, and it's really scary to think about that. Sometimes we'll keep our door open. My kids play outside.''

Bob Bertini, a Wendy's Inc. spokesman based in Dublin, Ohio, called the shooting ''a senseless tragedy.''

source

Edited March 4, 2008 by Hum

[rmorris003]

why do they always kill themselves, just dont do it in the first place and save the usa.

[PixilEyes]

Yeah, lets publish it more so we can have more copy cats.

I ^$(&$()& hate the media.

[Typhon]

Yeah, lets publish it more so we can have more copy cats.

I ^$(&$()& hate the media.

Crazy's will be crazy no matter what happens. Just be glad we are not in Afghan or Iran.

[ShaneSparky_YYZ]

West Palm Beachis such a nice place in FL, what a shame to see this happen. I was there last year and its really upscale, I wouldn't think this would happen there, but it can happen anywhere.

[MGS4-SS]

Another one?

I'm actually scared of going into the US now.

[Hum]

These seem to always happened, during the day.

I'll stick to going to restaurants at night.

[Nose Nuggets]

so bizarre. a wendys? why the hell a wendys?

[Hurmoth]

Another one?

I'm actually scared of going into the US now.

Don't be. The chances of being shot and killed are probably just as great as being killed in an automobile collision.

so bizarre. a wendys? why the hell a wendys?

I imagine it was something as stupid as them getting his order wrong:

"I said Vanilla Frostie Mother****ers!" :laugh:

[NateB1]

Another one?

I'm actually scared of going into the US now.

Yeah, it's quite a challenge getting around here in the US - dodging bullets, avoiding knifing, and ordering food in a fast food restaurant are major issues. Fatalities are quite common around here. :rolleyes:

[Nose Nuggets]

Another one?

I'm actually scared of going into the US now.

last time i checked, Puerto Rico WAS in the United States.

[PixilEyes]

Another one?

I'm actually scared of going into the US now.

You cant be serious.

Go to the store. Buy some street cred. Its on sale for 2.99.

[+StevoFC MVC]

last time i checked, Puerto Rico WAS in the United States.

hmm, yeah...not quite.

[MGS4-SS]

last time i checked, Puerto Rico WAS in the United States.

No, no, no and no. It isn't, it wasn't and it won't ever be.

[gigapixels Veteran]

I imagine it was something as stupid as them getting his order wrong:

"I said Vanilla Frostie Mother****ers!" :laugh:

LMAO :rofl:

[Farstrider]

No, no, no and no. It isn't, it wasn't and it won't ever be.

IN Puerto Rico?s capital, San Juan, among the dilapidated colonial-style buildings and cobbled streets, the United States Government is represented in plush Federal Buildings. From here the island is controlled as a ?non-incorporated territory whbelongs to but is not part of the United StateLiving under US lawaw, Puerto Ricans enjoy unrestricted and duty-free trade with the mainlacommon citizenship, currency, postal and other services, fiscal autonomy and freedom from the US federal taxes.

Sorry to say, yes, yes, yes, it is effectively!!

Back on topic: It is sad to hear these things and even worse for the victims of crimes like this!

Edited March 3, 2008 by Farstrider

[ahhell]

The US is such a peaceful country.

America! **** Ya!!

[Nose Nuggets]

as much as i hate using Wikipedia as a reference;

Government Republican three-branch government

- Head of State George W. Bush

- Federal Legislative Branch United States Congress

The statutory laws of the United States not locally inapplicable, ... shall have the same force and effect in Puerto Rico as in the United States.

Hey, what ever you need to tell yourself so you can sleep at night. but you don't have to lie to kick it.

[MGS4-SS]

IN Puerto Rico?s capital, San Juan, among the dilapidated colonial-style buildings and cobbled streets, the United States Government is represented in plush Federal Buildings. From here the island is controlled as a ?non-incorporated territory whbelongs to but is not part of the United StateLiving under US lawaw, Puerto Ricans enjoy unrestricted and duty-free trade with the mainlacommon citizenship, currency, postal and other services, fiscal autonomy and freedom from the US federal taxes.

Sorry to say, yes, yes, yes, it is effectively!!

Back on topic: It is sad to hear these things and even worse for the victims of crimes like this!

Its just a colony, and no, it isn't the "US." It never was, it isn't now, and it will never be.

All the US gives us is the citizenship and the postal services.

And no, we don't have freedom from the US federal taxes, fiscal autonomy is a lie, duty-free was officially over last year.

[Nose Nuggets]

soooooo your head of state is our president. your legislative branch is our congress. so yout subject to all presidential directives and all US laws, right? but its not part of the US?

[MGS4-SS]

soooooo your head of state is our president. your legislative branch is our congress. so yout subject to all presidential directives and all US laws, right? but its not part of the US?

It is a colony, I've said it a thousand times already. Its property of the US, but its not the US nor in the US.

[Hum]

:( Disturbing video:

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/crime/200....911.tapes.wptv

[Pc_Madness]

Seriously.. how many more people have to die before Americans get over their gun obsessions? :\

[PixilEyes]

Seriously.. how many more people have to die before Americans get over their gun obsessions? :\

Medieval days.

Seriously.. how many more people have to die before vikings get over their sword obessions? :\