MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Miami Gardens police are searching for a man who attacked and then pulled a gun on a UPS Store employee Wednesday and the store has taken up new security measures while police investigate.
The victim is terrified, telling Local 10 News what should have been a simple return turned into a scary situation. He says a furious customer lunged at him and struck him before pulling out a gun, and it was all caught on camera.
While waiting to return a package, video shows a man in an orange shirt becoming enraged with an employee.
“He got irate. He said, ‘I want my money back,’” said the victim, who asked that his identity not be revealed.
10 p.m. report:
The victim said the suspect pinned him against a wall and there was nowhere to go.
“He started choking me with one hand, and hitting me with the other one,” he said. “He put me in a position -- I couldn’t move -- then he took out a handgun.”
When the suspect pulled out the gun, the other employees ran off. The victim says he was worried the man was going to kill him.
“Honestly, I thought he was going to shoot me, that was the only thing going through my mind,” he said. “That was the only thing going through my mind, not getting shot.”
The man with the gun also said that he would be coming back to the store. The UPS Store briefly closed Thursday owing to the threat, but reopened, allowing only one customer in at a time.
Armed security stood watch outside.
Authorities are currently searching for the man. They say he left behind some information that could help track him down.
Anyone with further information or who thinks they recognize him is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.