POMPANO BEACH, Fla. ā An attempted carjacking at a Pompano Beach gas station over the weekend ended with a good Samaritan shooting and killing the suspect, deputies said.
But the alleged carjackerās mother is disputing their account.
The shooting happened just before 5 p.m. Sunday at the RaceTrac at 599 W. Atlantic Blvd.
Deputies said Brian Semil, 37, tried to carjack a mother and her children; they said three men intervened and one of them opened fire.
Semil went to prison for a 2015 carjacking in Fort Lauderdale that led to a police chase.
Despite his history, Semilās mother, Selinda Crawley, believes her son was innocent.
āThat is not true,ā Crawley said. āThatās something yāall made up to cover the act of this guy murdering my son. That is not a true story.ā
She said Semil was turning his life around, that he suffers from schizophrenia and that he was unarmed when he lost his life. Deputies have not yet said whether Semil was armed, citing an ongoing investigation.
āThis is what they bring up, 2015, he was on drugs,ā Crawley said. āBrian had cleaned up his life. Right as we speak, he cleaned his life up. I got certificates from where he was living, being sober from drugs.ā
She added, āHe could have been trying to talk to the lady, because he told me he was looking for a nice lady that he can make a family with and start off new.ā
Deputies have not identified the man who opened fire.
āI want to speak to him and ask him, why did he kill my son? Why?ā Crawley said. āWell, you did that. You hurt the whole family,ā
She said, āGive my son justice where itās due because youāre judging him on his past and that is not fair. My son (has) been murdered.ā
Crawley said she wants the alleged victim and the shooter to be identified and to come forward.