CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Sunday marked one month since Markeis McGlockton was shot and killed outside a Clearwater convenience store.
- Markeis McGlockton was shot, killed one month ago
- The shooting happened outside Clearwater convenience store
- Store owner says shooting hurt business
And while the memorial where the shooting happened may be growing, the owner of that store said some customers haven’t been shopping at the store out of fear.
Ali Salous said it may seem like its business as usual at the Circle A Food Store, but that couldn’t be any further from the truth.
“It’s actually been slow because a lot of people are scared to come here,” he said. “It’s nothing to worry about. Things happen. This guy he has a problem. Not everybody is like that.”
Salous wasn’t inside of the store when the shooting happened but just like everyone else, he watched that surveillance video.
The Pinellas County sheriff initially said it was stand your ground shooting. But three weeks later the State Attorney’s Office said it was manslaughter and charged Michael Drejka.
It’s something Salous says he hears about daily from his customers.
“A lot of people they ask what’s going on and so and so," he said. "They ask me this every, hour, ten minutes. They always ask me about it. You got to listen to the floor what people say. I’m not going argue with them. Each one has his own opinion. Some people say if it was me I’d do the same.”
Salous said he’s had problems with Drejka in the past. He has own opinion about the controversial shooting.
“I think this guy is always looking for a problem," Salous said. "I think he should mind his own business. If you come here, you come here to shop, not to follow people it’s none of your business. You’re not a cop you don’t get to tell them what to do.”
Salous said he’s owned the store for 20 years. He said he plans to let the memorial for McGlockton stay up as long as the community wants it there. He’s hoping as more time passes that people who are in fear will heal and things can get back to normal.
“I think we’ll get back to normal," he said. "It’s always problems. Problems happen all the time. It might take a few months. But it will get back, hopefully.”
Drejka has a bond hearing set for Thursday to lower that $100,000 bond. His attorneys said Drejka is indigent and can’t afford the bond or the daily fee it costs to wear the GPS monitor that’s a term of his release.