The owner of a jewelry store in Daytona Beach, Fla., was shot and killed during an argument at the store, according to a statement from the local police department.
Police said that on July 19, John Craiger, 83, came to Volusia Gold & Diamond and got into a verbal altercation with an employee. Craiger then allegedly shot and killed the employee, who has since been identified as the store’s owner, Ghazi “Gus” Osta.
According to police, following the initial shooting, a second store employee exchanged gunfire with Craiger, and another employee sneaked up behind Craiger and hit him on the head with a blunt object. Craiger sustained multiple gunshot wounds and a laceration to the head.
Osta died shortly after being transported to Halifax Medical Center. The other two employees were not harmed.
Daytona Beach police chief Jakari Young told reporters that the incident “doesn’t appear to be a robbery. It appears that the employee was very familiar with the suspect.… By what we can see, there was a back-and-forth going on just prior to the shots being fired.”
Craiger has been charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder.
Osta’s family has set up a GoFundMe page to pay for hospital and funeral expenses. The page says that Osta and his wife started the store 38 years ago, and he was the victim of a “horrific act of violence by a frequent customer.”
Osta “had the soul of a lion and always wore his heart on his sleeve,” the family wrote on GoFundMe. “His energy, generosity, and passion for life could be felt by all those who came into contact with him. Our dad was always striving to help those around him. He loved his community, and they loved him back. He will be deeply missed.”
(Photo: Getty Images)
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