PORT ORANGE, Fla. – A “disgruntled” customer opened fire Wednesday afternoon at a Walgreens in Port Orange, wounding two employees, before fatally shooting himself in the parking lot, according to the police department.
Port Orange police said the shooting happened in the pharmacy area of the store, where two employees were shot by a customer identified as 60-year-old Daniel Lee Asseff.
[See previous reporting below]
“I was standing in the card aisle and I heard a man and I just had this feeling... I put my cards down and I heard, ‘boom, boom, boom,’” a 911 caller said.
The caller, who was a customer in the store, also told dispatch that the man was “very pissed off at the manager.”
The two employees were taken to the hospital. One was shot in the torso and remains in the hospital, while the other was treated for a foot wound and released.
Another employee at the store called 911 and told dispatch the man got upset when the insurance wasn’t working for his pain medication.
“We wouldn’t give him his pain medication because it wasn’t going through insurance,” the caller said. “He freaked out... he’s been a regular customer but his insurance was not working.”
When police arrived, they found Asseff in his vehicle outside the store. The department said as officers approached the vehicle, they heard a gunshot and found Asseff with a gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
“I am out of the store and safe, and I told other people. I looked at the lady and said, ‘I have a funny feeling, we need to get out of here,’” the 911 caller said. “... And then everybody started running.”
Police initially said there was only one other customer who was there when the shooting happened, but clarified on Thursday that there were several other customers inside the store and in the parking lot.
Walgreens shared the following statement after the shooting:
“Our hearts are with our two Walgreens team members who were victims of a senseless act of violence.
We are fully cooperating with local authorities in their investigation and remain committed to supporting our team through counseling and other available services.
The safety of our patients, customers and team members is our highest priority."
The names of the employees who were shot have not been released.
Anyone with information related to the incident is asked to call the department at 386-248-1777.