Posted on 06/13/2004 5:42:29 PM PDT by doubleA
Selma police arrested Lorenzo Walker Saturday, shortly after he allegedly ended his son's birthday party with a hail of bullets.
The shooter was outside the Highland Avenue McDonald's and began firing at Latoya Powell, after the two had left the restaurant while arguing.
"He was at a birthday party for his son," Police Chief Robert Green said. "The victim he shot was his girlfriend's sister. Apparently they'd been feuding for some time."
Witnesses say the shooter argued with Powell and then retrieved a gun from his car and started firing.
Apparently, the man fired eight times, wounding Powell twice, once in the neck and once in the upper torso.
John Green was on the Summerfield side of the McDonald's parking lot. He'd just gotten his order filled and walked to his truck when the shooting started.
"He was shooting sideways...He wasn't aiming, he was just shooting," Green said. "He was hoping to hit somebody."
"Now you know why I go home, go to work and that's it," a visibly shaken Green said. "I ain't never been shot at before."
Brian Sharpe and his family were celebrating a youth baseball win at the Dallas County Sportplex. They'd just sat down to eat when they heard the shots.
"All of a sudden, we heard pop, pop, pop," an ashen-faced Sharpe said. "The glass behind us shattered and this girl came up from the back and said she'd been shot. We just tried to get the kids out."
Six bullets were embedded into two different cars parked nearby, a gray Buick Park Avenue and a blue-green Chrysler New Yorker.
The Buick belonged to Derrick Polnitz, a 32-year-old Selma resident. He said he'd been in line about 10 minutes when the shooting started.
"I hit the floor," Polnitz said. "I didn't see nothing."
Polnitz couldn't understand what prompted the shooting.
"That's messed up...out in public like this," he said.
The other two bullets fired went through a plate glass window into the restaurant.
One of the bullets went over the children's heads, through two more windows and finally buried itself into a wall near the men's room in the back of the building. Another went four feet to the right of the party and lodged itself into an aluminum window frame.
According to J. Green, a small child was in a car seat on one of the tables.
"I just thank the Lord that they didn't get that infant," he said.
Ambulances transported Powell to Vaughan Regional Medical Center. Powell, who is pregnant, is in fair condition, according to hospital officials.
Witnesses said the shooter fled the scene in a white Nissan Maxima.
The Maxima left the scene through the Summerfield exit. Police later apprehended Walker on Alabama Avenue.
Mayor James Perkins was on the scene after the shooting.
"This is just a disgrace," Perkins said. "We're praying for the victim and the family."
Perkins said he plans to discuss the shooting and what can be done at Monday's city council meeting.
"We've got to get these guns off the streets," he said. "They need to bring these guns in and we've got to stop this. I'm making an appeal that the citizens of Selma take these guns...and bring these guns in."
The owners of the store declined to comment. McDonald's replaced the glass a few hours after the shooting. The store was open by 8 p.m.
An officer on the scene, however, did say the restaurant had nothing to do with the crime.
"This could have happened anywhere," Sgt. Swanson said. "This had nothing to do with McDonald's, whatsoever."
Chief Green added that Walker faces a litany of charges. He said they will be announced at a Monday press conference.
Witnesses also said that Walker's mother, who was at the party, had to be taken to Vaughan Hospital for a possible heart condition.
"The suspect's mother had some problems," Chief Green said. "(However) it appears everyone involved is going to be OK."
Nice to know that Selma has such a level-headed mayor.....(sarcasm)
Now where could he have learned that? Duh.
Agreed...I just hate it when those guns walk into restaurants and start shooting themselves off...
Of course, what he should have said was "We need to get these Lorenzo Walkers off the street...", which the police did, of course, just to late to do any good.
May I suggest something equally effective and more to the point, Mr. Mayor? "If you're an impulsive idiot who can't control yourself, turn yourself in."
Where is this? I thank God (literally) that none of these little ones hurt. That said, maybe the mayor can tell us if this was a responsible CCL holder and if not where he got the gun. If he bought it off the streets then I support this mayor 100%. He needs to go tell all the "bad guys" to please turn in their weapons. I'm sure they will corperate to the fullest.
After a bone-headed statement like that, Mr. Perkins, they're going to start carding you in bars because you must have been born yesterday. You will never ever "get guns off the streets." Britain failed to do it and Australia failed to do it. All you can do is see to it that your law-abiding citizens are carrying and ready to defend themselves like Americans, not cowering in fear like that fool Green who only goes to work and home. Sheesh! Where do they find these people? They're as nuts as the shooter.
Try him and if convicted, hang him publicly.
"Where is this?"
Selma, Alabama
"Let's see...I'm a drugged-up criminal tough guy, and the Mayor says to turn in my guns."
Fine.
Good thing he didn't leave in an SUV.
Martial Law then.
I'm so glad the mayor isn't concerned with getting raging lunatics off of the streets.
He must have had that little speech prepared for years, waiting for a nutcase to use a gun so he could make his mayoral proclamation.
To a liberal this criminal was a nice sweet man --- wouldn't hurt a fly but he saw a gun and became a thing possessed --- it's all the gun's fault.
At least there is no need to post photos.
"We've got to get these guns off the streets," he said. "They need to bring these guns in and we've got to stop this. I'm making an appeal that the citizens of Selma take these guns...and bring these guns in."
An officer on the scene, however, did say the restaurant had nothing to do with the crime.
"This could have happened anywhere," Sgt. Swanson said. "This had nothing to do with McDonald's, whatsoever."
Well, if McDonalds had nothing to do with it, why did the gun have something to do with it!
Idiots.
"Well, if McDonalds had nothing to do with it, why did the gun have something to do with it!"
LOL, yes, thank Heavens they cannot sue Micky D's over this! How about getting the criminals off the streets. that would be my advice.
"I didn't see nothing."
I'm making an appeal that the citizens of Selma take these guns...and bring these guns in."
I'm making an appeal for someone to bring in the local grammar teacher. (Glad the children and innocent bystanders are okay.)
Why do street thugs always shoot like that? It seems about as stupid as all the Palestinians shooting up in the air.
BTW, is the girlfriend also the "baby's momma," or somebody else's "baby's momma?"
To ensure that something terrible like this never, never happens again, we need a law prohibiting birthday parties at Mickey Ds. If there was no party, there would have been no reason for Lorenzo to go get his piece.
Is shooting sideways (handle of pistol horizontal) some kind of hip way of firing? Saw some brothers holding that way in the movie "Ladykillers" recently. Can you please give me a clue?
Your brothers are in the movies? :)
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