SUNRISE, Fla. – A 31-year-old man's decision to intervene when two men were arguing at a Sunrise gas station left him wounded and fighting for his life on Friday.
Fire Rescue personnel took him to Broward Heath Medical Center where relatives identified him as Steven Palmer. Police officers said he was in critical condition.
Sunrise Police Department officers responded to reports of an armed carjacking involving the driver of a white Mercedes-Benz at the Mobil station at 6099 W. Sunrise Blvd.
Upon further investigation, officers described the shooting as "a verbal argument that turned violent" and not a car jacking. The driver of a white Hyundai and the driver of a white Mercedes-Benz were arguing before the shooting.
Witnesses said they heard the two men arguing and saw a third man driving a blue Chevrolet Malibu step in to try to split up the fight. There was confusion at first, but detectives later determined the driver of the Hyundai shot at the driver of the Malibu.
"The guy who got shot didn't fight," said a witness who wanted to remain unidentified. "He just got shot. He didn't fight the other guy."
Officers said the gunfire was so close to the station's gas pumps that the shooter put many lives at risk. Surveillance video captured the incident.