Dunkin’ employee Khalil Abdul Shakur Shaheed, 22, has been charged with aggravated battery and carrying a concealed firearm. He received these charges after allegedly shooting a customer twice in the legs outside the Dunkin’ on Gulf-to-Bay Blvd. in Clearwater, Florida.
Jewitt Steele, 38, was trying to buy ice cream for his girlfriend and two kids when an argument with Shaheed broke out. Shaheed reportedly followed Steele and his family out of the store to the parking lot, where the argument continued.
Police say Shaheed then pulled a gun from his waistband and fired three times, hitting Steele twice in the legs. The victim was taken to the hospital.
Shaheed was arrested in the nearby Sam’s Club parking lot with the gun still on him.
According to Clearwater Police Chief Daniel Slaughter, the victim’s injuries are serious, and he is currently receiving medical treatment. The motive behind the shooting is still unclear, and police are investigating the incident.
The shooting happened around 6 p.m., and police and fire officials responded to the scene. Officers arrested Shaheed shortly after the incident, and he has since been released on bond. He has also been charged with carrying a concealed firearm.
Slaughter expressed relief that no one else was hurt in the incident, saying, “We were fortunate that not only no one else got hurt, but we had officers that were immediately in the area, that were immediately flagged down and were able to get the person in custody and not have any further incidents of concern, but it was definitely a peak period of the day, and that is always concerning.”
Police are continuing to investigate the incident, including tracking where the gun used in the shooting came from. Slaughter said that it appears the suspect bought the firearm through legal means.