Shotgun-wielding man terrorizes 2 couples
LAUDERDALE LAKES — In a span of just 30 minutes, two couples in Lauderdale Lakes found themselves confronted by amaskedmanwho wielded a shotgun and, in one of the incidents, fired it, authorities said.
The separate crimes happenedaround9: and10 p.m. on July 28.
In the first case, Johnny Johnson was standing outside his Mercedes-Benz at a RaceTrac gas station when a man walked up to him while pulling a ski mask over his face.
“He came out of nowhere,” saidJohnson, 60, ofSt. Petersburg. “He pulled a shotgun and said, ‘giveme your keys.’ ”
Johnson said he played dumbto keep the focus off his wife, Dianne, who was halfasleep inside the car with the keys. She said she woke up when she overheard the confrontation outside.
“I heard my husband say, ‘what keys?’ — he didn’t want to tell him the keys were in the car,” said Dianne Johnson, 63. “I saw the shotgun and I knew this is real. I put my head down in my lap and prayed.”
When the masked man momentarily lowered his weapon, Johnson ran and ducked behind a Hummer parked at a nearby pump and his wife locked the doors. The gunman then fired his shotgun, hitting the top of the car, before leaving.
“I lifted my head and saw him at the back window on the driver’s side. Before I could even duck my head, he shot the gun,” Dianne Johnson said. “I screamed so loud. Itwas the scariest thing.”
About a half hour later, a mask-wearing man in a Toyota Corolla, also with a shotgun, Authorities are asking for help in identifying an armed robber. He is believed to be driving a Toyota Corolla that may be silver. robbed Shawn Williams is possibly silver, and is asking outside a Bank of America for the public’s help in identifying ATM on West Oakland Park the masked armed robber. Boulevard as Williams' wife, Geraldine, waited for him in Authorities ask anyone the car. with information to call detectives
No shots were fired this at 954-321-4547. Tips time. Williams handed over may also be sent to Broward $600 and the robber left, according Crime Stoppers at to an incident report. 954-493-8477 or at broward
The investigation is ongoing. crimestoppers.org. The Broward Sheriff’s Office released a surveillance picture of the Toyota, which