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More Details Released About Piggly Wiggly Shooting
May 11, 2011
More details have been released about the events — including Mother’s Day drinks — leading up to Sunday’s shooting of a Century man at the Davisville Piggly Wiggly.
Gary Winston Smith, 57, of Rockaway Creek Road, Atmore, was arrested at the scene and charged with aggravated battery in connection with the shooting of Garland Rodney Johnson, 45, of the 2400 block of West Highway 4. The whole incident, authorities said, was over a woman allegedly seeing both men.
(For an earlier story with more details, click here.)
The woman and Johnson, according to a witness, were both at the Grey Goose lounge a short distance from the Piggly Wiggly about 3:30 Sunday afternoon for a “Mother’s Day drink”. The woman told deputies that she and Johnson had just pulled into the Grey Goose parking lot when they heard tires spinning from Highway 97. Johnson then, according to the woman, went to the road to look and then got back into his Nissan Altima and took off toward the Piggly Wiggly. A short time later, according to an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, Johnson called the woman on her cell phone and said, “He just shot me.” He told her he was “At the Pig” and had been shot in the stomach.
Smith told deputies he went to the Piggly Wiggly to get a steak to grill for his dinner. He said he observed Johnson get out of his Nissan Altima before he “charged” at him. Smith admitted to deputies that he reached into his pocket, pulled out a .22 caliber revolver, pointed it a Johnson and told him to stop. Smith said Johnson did not have anything in his hands, but came at him in an aggressive manner. Smith said Johnson stated that he was not scared of the gun and that “he was going to beat his brains in,” according to the Sheriff’s Office report.
Smith (pictured) told deputies that he shot Johnson in the stomach from about three feet away because he feared Johnson was going to “beat him up”. He also told deputies that he hoped Johnson would be okay.
When deputies arrived at the Piggly Wiggly after the shooting, they found Smith standing at the rear of his Mustang, which was parked along the sidewalk outside the store. His revolver was on the ground about three to four feet away. He was placed into custody without incident.
Deputies found Johnson inside the store, shot in the stomach with an exit wound in his back. He was transported by LifeFlight to Baptist Hospital where he was listed in serious condition.
Smith’s brother-in-law told deputies he was about 20 yards away when he observed another man approach Smith, and it appeared the two men were arguing. The witness said the man got into Smith’s face, before stepping back and being shot.
Employees inside the Piggly Wiggly told deputies that they heard the gunshot before Johnson walked in the door and sat down on a bench. Store employees then called 911.
Two of the employees told deputies that after the shooting, they observed Smith pacing with a gun in one hand and talking on this cell phone outside the store.
Smith’s sister told deputies the two men had been feuding for the past few months.
For a photo gallery from the scene, click here. The photo gallery shows the complete scene, the victim being airlifted, the suspect being arrested, a crime scene investigator at work and vehicles being searched.
Pictured top: A North Escambia man was shot just outside the Piggly Wiggly on Highway 97 in Davisville on May 8. Pictured inset: This NorthEscambia.com exclusive photo shows Gary Winston Smith of Atmore being arrested in connection with the shooting. Pictured below: The victim, Garland Rodney Johnson of Century, was transported by LifeFlight to Baptist Hospital in Pensacola. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
26 Responses to “More Details Released About Piggly Wiggly Shooting”
REGARDING:
“You should never tell someone you’re going to beat their brains out.”
True.
If you really mean to do it, it is unwise to warn them of your intentions. Even if you don’t mean to do it, they might defend themselves from your promised attack.
David for non-threatening intercourse
(verbal, of course)
Mr. Smith has the right to defend himself. It’s good for Mr. Johnson he had not threatened me like that because my .45 would not make an exit wound and he would be dead.
Mr. Johnson pursued the trouble. He was the aggressor. He deserves what he got.
I hope it works out for Mr. Smith.
Sounds like Mr Johnson should have gone in the GOOSE and had a good time instead of to the PIG to have his GOOSE shot.
DA
If he also had a permit for the gun, and the restraining order was against Johnson, he shouldn’t have much more of a problem with the law
to worried: as a matter of fact, there was a restraining order in place
I think it is very sad the disregard for human life on here. Yes it is legal to carry a gun, I think we should have that right. But people also need to think before they shoot. The bullet made an exit wound so where exactly did it go? Thankfully not in somebody else. If it had been a bigger gun it might have hurt someone else, like a CHILD!!!! People are so quick to shoot their gun and not think of anything else, how about knocking him on the head with it?? That’s a bright idea, and how many people are going to standby and watch another man get his brains beat in? Probably a few but not too many, or is mankind that sick nowadays. Just remember those of you who say you would have done the same thing. What if you were walking across the parking lot and a bullet came flying at you or someone you’re with. Always think before you shoot, you never know who else is around.
Was Smith going to walk in the Pig with the gun? Does he have a permit to carry it in that manner? Why did he have it with him in the first place? If there were already problems, why hadn’t he already gotten a restraining order?
Why didn’t Johnson just keep his “bad behind” at the Grey Goose!! Not too bad after all!!
Just another reason not to go to the Pig.
I sure hope this woman was a prize worth fighting and facing the cosequences for!
It appears that the steak buyer was given a plausible story to repeat by his attorney and just might skate by with a self defense plea and get off….gotta love attorneys.
Sounds justified to me.They need to drop charges on shooter and press them on the guy that got shot.If it were a cop in the same position it would be called justified.The man should have never been taken to jail.If i had been in his position i would have done the same thing except i would have been aiming a little higher.Just my opinion
Well, hate it happened…..
Today’s first lesson learned is……. “You don’t take your fist to a gun fight! You will definitely lose.”
Second lesson is…..”If someone points a gun at you and tell you to stop, you should “STOP”, and go call the cops.
@ Kay Guess what Kay, a gun is “LEGAL” to protect yourself. This is still America… Whats left of it anyway
c…read the article again. Says they had just arrived at the GG parking lot. I don’t see anything saying they were drinking. Says about 3:30. What was distorted?
The reporter didn’t embellish anything, and I don’t see any comments misstating details.
No what is stupid about this whole thing is two men fighting over a woman, like two young school boys.I don’t think any man or woman is worth getting killed over. It seems to me Johnson was looking for trouble or he would not have went to the piggly wiggly in the first place.
@M ….no I don’t believe he should just let someone beat his brains in but I certainly don’t think you raise the anti from a fist fight to a gun fight. I carry something that would have taken him down and it’s legal and I wouldn’t have to have gun. Maybe some of these people need to take a self defense class if they
are so scared. There are a million ways to take someone down and you don’t even have to be a guy or have brute strength. All we are doing is adding more weapons to the nuts that have them now……If we were all mature gun fights would not be necessary.
Unfortunately there are a lot of nuts out there with short triggers.
@ kay Maybe if he hadn’t taken his gun to get steaks, he could have just got his brains beat in.
OK, let’s see if I’ve got this straight. A guy is going to the grocery store to by a steak. Another guy runs over from a bar and gets in the face of the steak-buyer and tells him he’s gonna beat his brains out and for his threatening manner gets a bullet in the belly.
If this is the way it went down, then he got what he deserved. He needs to be glad it wasn’t me he was threatening. It wold not have been a .22, it would have been a .45!
@samuel clemons
Hip hip hooray I don’t know where you came from brother but you
are a breath of fresh air.
Time for them both to grow up. This is why nobody needs to be
taking guns to the piggly wiggly to get a steak.
“These are both GOOD hard working men. Neither deserves what has just changed there lives FOREVER!!”
Yes they do. No other person forced them to have an altercation and one of them shoot the other one. All of the things that have happened are their fault. No one else is to blame for their poor decisions. Not society, not a woman, not the police, just the two adults who decided they would not follow the rules of our state and country.
>>I wish everyone would get the story straight before putting in the paper or t.v.
We just report what the Sheriff’s Office report says — it’s the only “official” record of what happened.
These are both GOOD hard working men. Neither deserves what has just changed there lives FOREVER!!
See Atmore has nothing better to do except spread rumors when something happens…that is all they has to do.Need to find out the whole truth before putting it on the news or newspaper. They just arrive at the goose and haven’t went in for a drink yet and it was after 3:30….Johnson didn’t get into his face and then back away…both men are adults they should have talk it out like an adult..what are we showing our children…”go fight over a woman or man if you can’t have them” don’t think so…I wish everyone would get the story straight before putting in the paper or t.v.
You should never tell someone you’re going to beat their brains out.Most people will do whatever it takes to prevent that from happening.And it looks like thats what happened.
Sounds to me like the man was provoked, and not given any other choice but to defend himself.
If someone came at me, aggressive, threatening, I would have shot him too.