By Erica Thomas, managing editor
PINSON — The owner of the Pinson Chevron that was robbed Friday, April 19, has a message for the man who shot her husband: Get a job!
The owner, who does not want to be identified, said she was at the location at 5315 Pinson Valley Parkway when a man came in with a gun demanding money. It happened around 6:57 a.m., according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. The armed robber shot the floor and fragments hit the victim’s leg. The shooter fled the scene, and the owners, a married couple, were left in shock.
Amazingly, a regular customer, who is a nurse, was there after the shooting and was able to tend to the victim. The owner said she instantly felt the love of her loyal customers.
“Right away they all came inside and hugged us and made us feel like they were there for us,” she said. “The community is so good here. I just wanted to tell our customers that we really appreciate their prayers and their concern and their help for us. Also, I just want them to feel safe and secure to come do business with us.”
This is the first time the couple has been robbed in their 15 years of doing business at the location.
“It was very shocking to us because we never experienced anything like that in our life before,” the owner said.
She said her husband, herself and their employees have taken webinars and seminars on how to deal with dangerous situations such as an armed robbery.
“We were pretty calm and didn’t react much and gave him what he asked for,” she said. “We said, ‘Go ahead and take it, but at least don’t kill anyone over it.’ We could have done a lot, but the brain was totally shut down. We couldn’t think or anything.”
The woman said her husband is doing much better after seeking medical treatment for his wounds.
No arrest has been made, but the owner has a message to shooter:
“My message is to him that I hope he doesn’t harm anybody else because that person could be a father to someone, or a mother, a brother, maybe he is feeding the family,” she said. “You don’t know how many lives you’ve affected. Work hard and your hard work will pay for it. Instead of taking free money, just work hard, get a job!”