2 Dead, 5 Injured In Fla. Wendy's Shooting

Cops: Gunman In Jacket And Tie Opens Fire Without Speaking, Killing A Firefighter And Himself

(AP)  A gunman in a jacket and tie wordlessly opened fire inside a Wendy's during the lunchtime rush Monday, killing a firefighter who had gone back to fetch the toy left out of his child's meal and wounding five others. He 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, a Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue lieutenant 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 the man returned because the free toy was missing from the kids' meal, he said.

The lieutenant was shot in the back as he stood at the counter.

"Our officer probably didn't even see him," Delai said, adding that the man's wife and child were in the parking lot when the shooting broke out.

Three of the survivors were critically wounded, but all had improved and were hospitalized in stable condition Monday evening, Miller said. They included a 43-year-old man, a 16-year-old girl, a 65-year-old man and his 62-year-old wife. One person was injured while running away.

Motorists at the drive-thru window also fled, some leaving their vehicles running. Several people were carried from the restaurant on stretchers. Authorities did not identify the shooter or the other victims.

"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.

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.

The shooter entered the restaurant and went to a restroom before coming out brandishing what appeared to be a 9 mm handgun, Miller said. About 10 to 15 people were believed to be 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 the well-dressed gunman opened fire. Jerry Maynard said the shooter held his gun sideways and said nothing.

The gunman went to the counter, Miller said, shooting a customer before slowly turning to his left and firing on others before shooting himself.

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

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.

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

[excoachken]

Just another normal NRA field event for those in love with guns. But 2 dead only counts 10 points on their ghoul scale.

[gunnerv1]

Sorry, but the NRA doesn''t advocate the illegal use of firearms.

[ponco seno]

THIS IS IT, I WANT A STIFF GUN CONTROL POLICY AND WE NEEDED NOW.

[gunnerv1]

nutsie11, SchooLIAR lives for this to happen.

[gunownerdan]

www.A-HUMAN-RIGHT.com

[gbdmd]

While it is true that the NRA had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with this tragedy, the NRA works to crush the reputation of any politician that advocates gun registration or the elimination of automatic weapons for private citizens. While I firmly believe that guns should never be made available to private citizens for any reason, I also understand that it will be many years before this country evolves.

Gun violence in America is such a shameful and unnecessary crime. Arming citizens is not the answer. How many private citizens in malls need to die? How many college students need to die? How many high school students need to die? How many patrons in a fast food joint need to die before someone in this country becomes brave enough to actually do something to thwart these ridiculous and unnecessary crimes by advocating the registration and limited availability of firearms.

Yes, I fully realize that if someone truly wants to do harm to someone else, they will succeed, but any argument that suggests arming America is the solution to preventing gun violence is simply delusional. What if we did arm every American citizen? Then what do we do when people mistake a plumber for a burglar... a UPS man delivering a package as an intruder... a college student returning home expectantly as a stalker? A black man visiting his white girlfriend as a rapist? There are millions of reasons why more guns are not the answer.

LESS GUNS and REAL SOLUTIONS!

[cbsblogger]

This country has become really screwed up in the last 7 years. Perhaps the constant talk of fear and terror by Bush has caused Americans to crack under the frustration?

[myidoncbs]

NRA apologists, get your facts straight before coming to their defense. The truth is, the NRA has done EVERYTHING they can to put guns in the hands of as many WACKOS as possible. They opposed background checks ("It''s my right to have a gun!"). They have blocked closing the flea market loophole every time it comes up. They have blocked investigation and punishment of crooked gun dealers who sell an inordinate number of guns to criminals (their own board members are some of the worst offenders). They champion the completely false notion that "guns make you safe", despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Also, they champion the equally false notion of the "law abiding gun owner". (They''re ALL law abiding... until they aren''t.)

The NRA''s goal is simple: sell more guns to more idiots who think they will be safe if they can get away with killing anyone who makes them feel "threatened". The problem is: the paranoid lunatics with an exaggerated sense of their own abilities (translation: big chip on their shoulder) are the very people who are MOST LIKELY to go nuts and start killing people.

Note this fact: Every "lunatic" or "criminal" who shoots people dead is a "gun owner". If we had LESS gun owners, then we''d have LESS people being shot dead by gun owners.

[observer2020]

THIS IS WHY I CARRY A 45CAL.I HAVE A CARRY/CONCEAL PERMIT!THIS IS WHY I DECIDED TO GET THE PERMIT & CARRY A HANDGUN.
Posted by nutsie11 at 01:56 PM : Mar 03, 2008

Therefore, nutsie11, we all should go around with concealed weapons so when one person starts shooting, it can become an OK corral...and everyone can be shooting at one another. That way, clean up is easy, just sweep everyone into body bags and go from there. Who cares WHO it was that started it and why...everyone else finished it (as well as themselves). Helps out with the gene pool. Let''s just hope someday you are sitting in someplace where something like this starts, nutsie11. All guns, whether for hunting animals or people, are wrong and should be destroyed.

[antizion]

Nearly all US school shooting mass murders are carried out by Jewish children.

Google "project monarch" There is always some anti gun legislation waiting to be voted on right afterward.

In order to bring in the "New World Order", a communist global government world being run from Israel by the Jews, they have to disarm the people.

THEN YOU WILL SEE A GENOCIDE LIKE NONE OTHER.

[gunownerdan]

"Let me make a point here, in case this isn''t becoming extremely clear. My state has gun control laws. It did not keep Hennard from coming in and killing everybody! What it did do, was keep me from protecting my family!"
- Dr. Suzanna Gratia Hupp, Killeen Texas Luby''s massacre survivor

[omded]

And I thought colesterol was all you had to worry about when eating at Wendy''s!!! Holy Cow! If it had been at McDonald''s the guy''s last words would have been "supersize this!" Here''s a bullet! Would you like fries with that? From now on, I''m eating lunch at Subway!!!

[myidoncbs]

ilikecats1, gbdmd had it right: the NRA actively works to crush any politician who favors stricter gun control laws. First, they use your membership dues to bribe ("make donations to") politicians to do their bidding. When that doesn''t work, they channel their money to that person''s political opponent. When that isn''t sufficient, they create a smear campaign against the politician they failed to own.

The NRA is a criminal organization of gun pushers, nothing more. They are the enemy of all civilized peoples.

[rushlimpdrug]

THIS IS WHY I CARRY A 45CAL.I HAVE A CARRY/CONCEAL PERMIT!THIS IS WHY I DECIDED TO GET THE PERMIT & CARRY A HANDGUN.
Posted by nutsie11 at 01:56 PM : Mar 03, 2008

I agree and this is why I am in the market for a tank (I like drive-thru).

[kmccliment]

observer2020,

Go ahead and be a good lamb and be slaughtered. I''ll use your body as a shield and return fire.

[usbrit-2009]

Go ahead and be a good lamb and be slaughtered. I''''ll use your body as a shield and return fire.

Posted by kmccliment

Seems to me that any self-respecting mass murderer would shoot the guys with the guns first, thus giving us non-gun owners ample time to escape!!

[kmccliment]

USBrit , LOL- I guess you could look at that way.

[myidoncbs]

gunownerdan, that''s a nice story by Hupp, seemingly supporting your side. However, she is wrong. If SHE could carry a gun into Luby''s, then so could EVERYONE else. As soon as lots of people are carrying, you guarantee that some of the gun nuts present weren''t paying attention to who shot first. Hearing the shots and seeing everyone with their guns drawn, those gun nuts will start shooting, some of them at the WRONG people! Then, other gun nuts will have to shoot them! Chaos and death!

It''s true that SOMETIMES having a loaded gun on your person MAY actually be useful. But it''s rare. And the more people there are carrying loaded weapons, the MORE problems we are going to have. We ALREADY have a terrible problem because ANY LUNATIC can easily get his hands on a gun (they''re everywhere!) and use it to kill people.

Guns are NOT the solution. Guns are the problem.

[slim1h2o]

From now on, I''''m eating lunch at Subway!!!

Posted by omded at 02:18

Worst sandwhiches on the planet.

Remember folks,, it''s not the NRA,, guns,,it''s the sick society we live in today. I don''t care what any one says. If you have evil thoughts,, or you''re out to harm people you are going to act on them. Regardless,, if you have gun or not.

[gunownerdan]

Only YOU can protect yourself!

Castle Rock v. Gonzales (SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES CONCLUSION: POLICE DO NOT HAVE TO PROTECT YOU)

".. a government and its agents are under no general duty to provide public services, such as police protection, to any particular individual citizen..."
Warren v. District of Columbia, 444 A.2d 1 (D.C.App 1981) (no liability for failure to provide police protection)

Sapp v. Tallahassee, 348 So.2d 363 (Fla. App. 1st Dist.), cert. denied 354 So.2d 985 (Fla. 1977); Ill. Rec. Stat. 4-102 (no liability for failure to provide police protection)

Jamison v. Chicago, 48 Ill. App. 3d 567 (1st Dist. 1977) (no liability for failure to provide police protection)

Simpson''s Food Fair v. Evansville, 272 N.E.2d 871 (Ind. App.) (no liability for failure to provide police protection)

Silver v. Minneapolis, 170 N.W.2d 206 (Minn. 1969) (no liability for failure to provide police protection)

Bowers v. DeVito, 686 F.2d 616 (7th Cir. 1982) (no federal constitutional requirement that police provide protection)

Davidson v. Westminster, 32 Cal.3d 197, 185, Cal. Rep. 252; 649 P.2d 894 (1982) (no liability for failure to provide police protection)

Morgan v. District of Columbia, 468 A.2d 1306 (D.C.App. 1983) (no liability for failure to provide police protection)

[kmccliment]

I''ll continue to eat my lunches, breakfasts and dinners at a doughnut shop. (wink,wink)

[rushlimpdrug]

Go ahead and be a good lamb and be slaughtered. I''''''''ll use your body as a shield and return fire.
Posted by kmccliment

I''m wondering if when in an airport you are a good lamb and do not carry any weapons to protect you from the bad folks.
Bet you''re just like the rest of the sheep and go disarmed into the plane.
Fool.

[antizion]

In every case where gun control laws were enacted, crime went up. Conversely, in every case where mandatory gun ownership laws were enacted, crime went nearly to zero.

The math does not lie like the zionist controlled media which is controlled by seven jews working to create a global communist government (Bush''s New World Order" run from Israel.

Bet you a collapsing dollar, the shooter has a jewish connection and there is gun control laws about to be voted on. It happens over and over.

Of course the jewish meida leaves that part out.

The trenchcoat mafia (Columbine massicure) was a jewish group, two if the FBI agents children that was in charge of the investigation, were in the treanchcoat mafia. The Sheriff was also a jew and a jewish judge allows the sheriff to not release the phone calls from that day.

Why? Because they don''t want to to know.

"Deny Christ was the son of God. No! Boom!"

[slim1h2o]

I''''ll continue to eat my lunches, breakfasts and dinners at a doughnut shop. (wink,wink)

Posted by kmccliment at 02:34 PM : Mar 03, 2008

LOL,,You mean (oink,,oink)?

[rushlimpdrug]

From now on, I''''''''m eating lunch at Subway!!!
Posted by omded at 02:18

I''m hungry could you bring me back a Big Mac? and super size it. I forgot my wallet but I''ll pay you back tomorrow.
Oh, also would you bring me back a snickers, and chips and maybe some twinkies.
Thanks.
Could you hurry?

[myidoncbs]

Nutsie11 shouts, "THE ONLY WAY TO GET TO THESE BAD GUYS.LET ''EM KNOW WE ARE TIRED OF THIS SH*T & WILL SHOOT BACK!"

That might work IF THEY WERE SANE! (But they aren''t.) In fact, most of them WANT to die, just like the guy in this article. Being insane, he wanted to kill a bunch of people on his way out of this world. Knowing that he would die didn''t stop him. It won''t stop the others.

In fact, the scientific research on this matter is undeniable: people who commit murder DO NOT CARE about the consequences. They are NOT thinking about the consequences (prison, execution, etc.) when they commit the crime!

Your logic is therefore invalid. It is just plain ign.orance and wishful thinking. You want to believe you can protect yourself with your little steel rod. You can''t. All you can do is kill other people. The world would be much better off without people like you (delusional fools with guns) inhabiting it.

[kmccliment]

Nah, I just know where a safe place to eat is, I think...

[slim1h2o]

Gun NUTZ are on a ROLL!~

Look who''s talking? You getting your jollies yet?

[myidoncbs]

Somebody said, "If you have evil thoughts, or you''re out to harm people you are going to act on them. Regardless, if you have gun or not."

Two small corrections:

1) Everybody has "evil thoughts" sometimes. They don''t all kill people.

2) Yes, you can harm people without a gun. But it''s SO MUCH EASIER to do it with a gun. That''s why paranoid fools should not own guns (that''s most, but not all, of the gun owners!). We don''t let you own nuclear weapons, either, and it''s for the same reason: they make it too easy to kill too many people!

[usbrit-2009]

HEY NUTSIE - Look down at your keyboard, you''ll see a long thisn key at the bottom. It''s called a spacebar. USE IT!!!!!!

[rohink-2009]

schoollord

If we got rid of the guns tomorrow, what would happen to the nutz?

[slim1h2o]

1) Everybody has "evil thoughts" sometimes. They don''''t all kill people.

2) Yes, you can harm people without a gun. But it''''s SO MUCH EASIER to do it with a gun. That''''s why paranoid fools should not own guns (that''''s most, but not all, of the gun owners!). We don''''t let you own nuclear weapons, either, and it''''s for the same reason: they make it too easy to kill too many people!

Posted by MyIDonCBS at 02:41 PM : Mar 03, 2008

I must be the exception then,,I don''t go around having evil thoughts....

[rohink-2009]

parrot2

I didn''t direct my question to you, but, since you responded, what are you blabbing about?

[jetlizhan]

enough! enough! enough! if you want to kill yourself, be my guest - leave others alone - for God''s sake. i know some folks in west palm beach - trying to contact them now.

[gunownerdan]

Taking everyone''s gun away because a few idiots might shoot someone is like cutting everyone''s tongue out because someone might yell `Fire!'' in a crowded theater.

[thcarson-2009]

Drugs are illegal yet are still easily obtained. What makes any of you gun control whackos think it would be any different with guns? I guess we should ban matches because they cause arsons.

[gunownerdan]

We are having an obesity epidemic in America. Since way more people are dying from obesity and heart disease than from guns, let''s ban spoons.

[slim1h2o]

LOL Good one Dan

[myidoncbs]

"In every case where gun control laws were enacted, crime went up. Conversely, in every case where mandatory gun ownership laws were enacted, crime went nearly to zero."

This is not true. Do the research and you''ll see. (I''d do it for you, but I have to go to lunch now.)

BTW, you will NOT find honest research at the NRA, or at any of the pro-gun websites, and least of all not from that idiot who wrote the book, "More Guns, Less Crime". He has been totally discredited as a proven liar and fraud.

Try the FBI uniform crime statistics. But, you are going to have a problem, I know. The problem is, you are NOT capable of thinking for yourself. If you were, you would not have belived the NRA lies in the first place. Starting with your current set of prejudices, it''s going to be very hard for you take an objective look at the facts and draw any reasonable conclusion. Given that the same is true of ALL the gun advocates, I don''t have any idea how we are going to end the scourge of gun violence in this country.

[omded]

I''d eat lunch at Joe''s Delux Taco Shop (right next door), but they put way too much cafiene in their coffee! OK folks, here''s the solution: Pass a law making it illegal for fast food restrauants to sell anything but de-cafienated coffee. It''s pretty clear this guy drank a cup of regular, and he got a cafiene rush. Anyone would respond the same way if they''ve had too much cafiene!!!

[rohink-2009]

schoollord, my point is that guns have always been attainable in the United States. I have been on this planet for 50 years. These mass killings and suicide did not occur, or if they did it was remote, until recently. So, you can argue for gun control and others can argue for more people to carry guns and we fail to address the real problem.

[gunownerdan]

You are all IDIOTS!~
The guns owned by people like YOU are the problem!~
Posted by schoollord

If you could no longer rely on such pathetic stereotypes, what would you do with yourself?

[slim1h2o]

That''''s what all the shooters said before the went to kill people in public places!~

Posted by schoollord at 02:50 PM : Mar 03, 2008

Now you know that''s not true. Arn''t you out of breath yet?

Until they enforce exsisting laws, calling for more, is just plain idiocy. We have enough laws on the books that can''t be enforced, because they are either to broad,, or impossiable to under the present system.....Oh Yeah that''s what you want,,,,a total Dictatorship,,,, silly me I forgot..

[slim1h2o]

You don''''t need much to be happy!~ "LOL" Your standards are pretty low!~ That''''s so PATHETIC!~

Posted by schoollord at 02:58 PM : Mar 03, 2008

I guess you''re right,,I''m responding to you now,, ain''t I? ...........Loser

[thcarson-2009]

schoollord, answer this question, if guns were banned would criminals still be able to aquire them?

[rohink-2009]

schoollord

A gun and knives were used in the killing in Texas. Two children were stabbed to death, the mother was also stabbed and shot. The father was shot five times and still lived.
The common denominator was that a 16 year old wanted her family dead. Take that gun away, and they are still dead

[gunownerdan]

Most gun deaths are related to guns owned by people like YOU!~ That''s NOT a stereotype Lizzie. That''''s called a FACT!~
Posted by schoollord

Here''s a real fact:
Most people who are murdered are unarmed people like YOU.
Others choose not to be anyone''s victim.

[slim1h2o]

You don''''t need much to be happy!~ "LOL" Your standards are pretty low!~ That''''s so PATHETIC!~

Posted by schoollord at 02:58 PM : Mar 03, 2008

LOL Thats a good one too,,,LOL Might as well say ,,All flu deaths are caused by the flu. All stroke deaths are caused by strokes,,,so,,and so on.......Loser

[rohink-2009]

schoollord, answer this question, if guns were banned would criminals still be able to aquire them?

Posted by thcarson

You won''t get an answer from schoollord. He or she is to narrow minded to see past the gun.

[beehive21-2009]

Humans are going crazy,killing everything that crawls ,slithers ,walks and runs,nothing new always have.Now with mass media every act of violence is immediate,killing is part of mans history,prepare to defend yourselves or be killed.Around the world bombers are killing like today with a bomb think about it whats you going to do ? who you gonna call ? arm yourselves.