2 shot dead in Tamarac; 1 critical
Woman slain at her home; gunman kills self at Boston Market where he was fired
TAMARAC — A former Boston Market employee shot two assistant managers, one fatally, and then turned the gun on himself in the parking lot of the restaurant shortly after noon New Year’s Day, authorities said.
“His motive for shooting his victims right now is unclear,” Gina Carter, a spokeswoman for the Broward Sheriff ’s Office, said Friday in the parking lot of the restaurant in the 5800 block of North University Drive.
The violence erupted about 12:19 p.m. when Clive A. Muir, 56, showed up at the home of Anne Nau, 21, in the 7500 block of 79th Avenue. Muir shot Nau, who died at the scene, Carter said.
Within five minutes, Muir barged into the Boston Market where Nau worked as an assistant manager and where Muir had been fired in September. The restaurant was open for business.
It was uncertain how many customers were there when Muir made his entrance and headed for a back office. Despite a female employee’s efforts to lock him out of the office, Muir got in and twice shot another assistant manager, Jason Claire, 33, Carter said.
Muir returned to his car and started to drive away. But he didn’t go far. He got out of his car and shot himself in the parking lot. He was pronounced dead on site.
Claire was flown to Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale with injuries that were considered life threatening. “Right now, his situation is extremely critical,” Carter said.
Details about why Muir was fired from his restaurant job were not immediately available, Carter said. Claire began working there in November, she said.
“We are shocked and saddened by the tragic incident that occurred this morning at one of our restaurants in Tamarac,” Courtney Suthoff, a spokeswoman for Boston Market, said in an email Friday evening. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the affected families. We are cooperating with local law enforcement as they conduct their investigation.”
The nature of Nau’s relationship with Muir was not immediately apparent, Carter said.
“It’s unclear what their relationship was,” Carter said. “Maybe they were dating. Maybe he had shown some romantic interest. All of that is unclear right now.”
It was Nau’s mother who called 911 to report that her daughter had been shot, Carter said.
Startled bystanders gathered Friday on the periphery of crime-scene tape in the shopping plaza’s parking lot. Many knew all three involved in the shooting. They expressed shock, grief and disbelief as they shared cellphone photos of Nau, Muir and Claire with reporters.
Kay Fragelus, a hairstylist at Phenix Salon Suites within the plaza, nearly broke into tears when she heard Nau had been shot and killed and that the suspected shooter was Muir.
“Wow, that hurts. What a New Year,” Fragelus said. “She was a kid. She’s a student. She’s about to become a cardiologist. She just bought a new car. She was on the road to somewhere.”
Nau and Muir had a very close relationship, Fragelus said, but she did not know if they had dated. The two co-workers spent a lot of time together, talked on the phone frequently, and Muir helped Nau with her sick mother, alternating turns taking her mother for dialysis treatments several times a week, Fragelus said.
Bobby Sinclair said he met Muir in Jamaica many years ago and considered him a good friend.
Muir was smitten with Nau and recently had been going through a rough patch, Sinclair said.
“He was sad, looking really bad,” Sinclair said. “He was having a hard time with the girl. I think she wasn’t interested in him anymore, and he was in love with her.”
Sinclair said he now regrets his own actions after Muir visited his home before Christmas. Muir ate soup with Sinclair, talked and expressed his distress. He was more sad than angry, Sinclair said. When Muir left, he forgot his handgun on the couch, Sinclair said.
“I was going to keep the gun,” Sinclair said. “The way he was looking I didn’t want him to go and do something stupid.”
Sinclair said he consulted with his wife about what to do with the firearm. He ended up tracking down Muir and returning it, Sinclair said.
“I didn’t know he would kill somebody. The way he looked, it looked like he would do it to himself,” Sinclair said. “I’m feeling sad, and I feel guilty, because if I did keep the gun, this wouldn’t have happened.”