"He was going to have to shoot me": Carjacking victim tells story of saving daughter at gunpoint
BLAINE, Minn. -- Saturdays are already known as "Daddy-Daughter Time," but this last weekend was both tragic and heartwarming all at the same time for Randall Wyatt and Starsha Jackson.
"I love my daughter, and I learned how much I love her," Wyatt told WCCO in an exclusive interview. "I was just a dad with my daughter in trouble. I would like to think that any dad who saw his daughter being held by somebody would've tried even if they didn't succeed."
Wyatt and his daughter had just finished shopping at a Blaine supermarket on Saturday afternoon when an armed man in a hooded sweatshirt and mask attacked them in the parking lot.
"He's got his arm around her," Wyatt recalled. "He's got her with this arm and showing the gun. I believe if I'm not mistaken, he shoots it in the air to let us know he's serious about what he's doing. I jumped on him, I pulled him off her and we both fell."
Investigators reported the carjacking suspect shot at Wyatt, 62, and then was able to wrestle free and escape in the stolen vehicle. According to Blaine Police, the 2021 Dodge Charger Hellcat is a prime target for thieves.
Police released surveillance video showing the suspect, who is described as 6 feet tall, about 200 pounds, wearing a Runtz hooded sweatshirt and red shoes.
"It's like the scariest thing that you never wanted to face. You really don't think you're going to come out it," Wyatt said. "I couldn't stay and just watch and say, 'Well, he had a gun.' He was going to have to shoot me, and that's what we sign up for as dads."
Anyone with information is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers. A reward of $1,000 is possible if the tip leads to the arrest of the suspect.