Well it's 2019 and everything in America is fine!
All is well!
People are functioning normally, our social fabric is intact, and when we have a friendly dispute over the price of something, we come back with a loaded weapon to talk things through like reasonable adults!
There is absolutely nothing to worry about!
Flickr: OÄŸuzhan Ali
According to local news affiliate Local 10 A recent dispute in a convenience store took an ... unnerving turn. Robert Lewis Miller, a 60-year-old man from (take a guess) Florida, because of course, popped into the Lauderhill Supermarket in Fort Lauderdale for a couple packs of cigs, like you do.
But when the clerk told him the price was $11 instead of the $10 Miller was expecting, he became irate.
When the clerk confirmed the price with his manager, Miller challenged him to a fight, and the clerk kicked him out of the store.
Then Miller came back with a loaded Wesson M&P-15 long rifle, shouting "You must not know who I am!" several times while pointing the rifle at the clerk. He fled after the clerk ducked behind the counter and called 911.
Video from the surveillance camera is frankly chilling, as Miller waves the gun around and points it several times.
Watch the footage here:
A customer at a South Florida convenience store was allegedly so enraged by the price of cigarettes that he returne… https://t.co/cufykUyV6T— ABC News (@ABC News) 1546438224.0
On social media, people were surprised and dismayed by this nonsensical display.
@ABC ..because it was the clerk's fault the price is high? smh.— Janet Fincannon (@Janet Fincannon) 1546438947.0
@ABC Compare the price for a pack of cigarettes vs that gun he’s packing.😡 Oh my 😓— Deborah (@Deborah) 1546446993.0
@ABC Good....throw his a$$ in jail and confiscate all of his guns...he is a danger to the rest of us.— Rock-it (@Rock-it) 1546482828.0
Whatever happened to just shaking your fist or "flipping the bird"? https://t.co/A7a46YRZY4— David W. Jacobs (@David W. Jacobs) 1546475014.0
And a bit shaken by how nonchalant everyone seems given how this could have gone down.
@GhettoBoxMan @ABC That is what shocked me! Nobody seems surprised that someone is in a store with a rifle. Unbelievable!!— Garry Orvold (@Garry Orvold) 1546440041.0
@dantegiuliano @ABC Unbelievable how no one was bothered by him. 😳 shocking— Angel Hall (@Angel Hall) 1546467884.0
And, of course, many couldn't help but make jokes.
@ABC Me if I saw this in any store https://t.co/sljU2QU5vd— Stars99! (@Stars99!) 1546491342.0
Especially at the expense of the one US state where something bizarre always seems to be going down.
@ABC https://t.co/lUBlerzpvD— Buffalo Ball Buster (@Buffalo Ball Buster) 1546438363.0
I was wondering how long into 2019 until our first crazy Florida story. Took longer than a I thought! #Florida… https://t.co/nu5X3w0d57— Consumer Justice (@Consumer Justice) 1546446215.0
After a court appearance, Judge Kim Mollica set Miller's bond at $25,000 and ordered him to surrender all his weapons to police. He must also wear a GPS monitor and never go to the Lauderhill Supermarket again.
Here's hoping whatever's next is enough to deter Miller from another incident.