Two days after a beloved cashier was shot to death while working at a DeKalb County supermarket, the woman’s family said they’re just trying to keep it together.
There was a growing memorial outside the Big Bear Supermarket on Wednesday evening as customers, friends and colleagues gathered for a candlelight vigil. Mourners left flowers, balloons and signed posters as they remembered 41-year-old Laquitta Willis.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Willis, who worked at the Candler Road store for more than a decade, was gunned down Monday afternoon by a disgruntled customer following an argument over a mask requirement, DeKalb police said. The alleged gunman was wounded in a shootout with a DeKalb County sheriff’s deputy who was working security in the store and tried to intervene.
The deputy, 54-year-old Danny Jordan, was shot twice and is now at home recovering. He was among those gathered to pay their respects for the slain cashier Wednesday evening.
“She’s a sweet, sweet woman,” Jordan told Channel 2 Action News.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Despite his injuries, the deputy said he didn’t want to miss the vigil to remember his friend.
“People can call me crazy, but I think the good still outweighs the bad. I think there’s a lot more good people out here that are really sick and tired of what’s going on,” he said. “At some point we’ve got to quit accepting violence. We cannot keep accepting this.”
Longtime customer Dorothy Ramsey described Willis as friendly and hard-working.
“She was very nice,” Ramsey told Channel 2. “I’ve been knowing her 10 years, ever since she came here, and she always helped me and my family.”
Willis’ cousin, Phyllis Andrews, stood outside the door greeting those who brought flowers and donations to help fund the woman’s funeral. She told the news station she was overwhelmed by the steady stream of supporters.
Some who had never even met Willis stopped by to pay their respects. B.B. Broughton was among those who took donations to help fund the cashier’s burial.
“My heart went out to the family and this is the least I could do at a time like this,” Broughton told Channel 2. “We all need to stick together and help each other, so I just came by to give a little donation to help the family out and express my condolences.”
The supermarket remained closed as Willis’ colleagues grieved, but the parking lot was full of cars about 6 p.m.
“It lets me know that my cousin was very loved (by) the community,” Andrews said. “Even when I got here, there was a crowd of people outside. That makes me know the love is here.”
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Monday’s shooting resulted from an argument between Willis and a shopper, Victor Lee Tucker Jr., over wearing his face mask in the store, GBI spokeswoman Nelly Miles said. Tucker, 30, of Palmetto, initially left the store without making a purchase, but returned a short time later with a gun, she said.
“Tucker walked directly back to the cashier, pulled out a handgun and shot her,” Miles said in a news release.
Jordan told Channel 2 he yelled out to try to stop the man from hurting Willis, but he was too late.
“I started running toward him, basically yelling to him to stop,” he said. “So I’m trying to get to him, to get him off of her. But before I got to him, I heard a gunshot.”
That’s when Tucker turned the gun on Jordan, according to the GBI. Authorities said the bulletproof vest he was wearing saved his life.
“At some point, I ended up shooting him in the legs. And that’s when he went down and crawled out of the store,” Jordan said.
Tucker remained hospitalized Wednesday evening. The deputy said the people at Big Bear are like family to him, but he is unsure if he will return to working security in the store.
While she appreciates the support, Andrews said she and her family are still trying to come to terms with her cousin’s senseless death.
“We’re not OK. We’re not OK at all. At this moment, we’re just trying to stay strong for each other,” she said. “It’s like reality is really starting to sink in.”
