Michigan Store Security Guard Shot Dead Allegedly After Altercation With Customer Over Face Mask

A security guard at a Family Dollar outlet in Flint, Michigan, was shot and killed Friday. Police were investigating whether it was following an argument with a customer who refused to wear a mask.

The victim, 43, was shot in the head during his working hours at the store at 877 Fifth Avenue. He died at a nearby hospital later. Bystanders claimed that he was gunned down after confronting a customer who had his face uncovered in defiance of the governor’s order. Authorities said they were investigating that angle, The Detroit News reported.

“We’re seeing a lot of these reports on social media, so we're investigating them," Lieutenant David Kaiser said. "We'll talk to all the potential witnesses."

The family members of the victim identified him as Calvin Munerlyn to news station WSMH. "(sobs) This just can't be real..my babies need their daddy," said Latryna Sims Munerlyn, the victim's wife. "I'm just suffocating, I feel like a knife is in my chest."

"He would have given you the shirt off his back, the food off his table. He was the life of the party," Courtney Cabine, a family friend, said. "Remember him as an amazing, outgoing person."

Calvin was employed at the store for over a year. The Genesee County Prosecutor’s Office would hold a press conference Monday regarding the shooting.

A GoFundMe page was created in Calvin’s honor which garnered over $3,000 as of Sunday. He was survived by his wife and eight kids.

The suspect was described as a thin man, wearing black faded jeans, a black sweatshirt, and black and white tennis shoes. Police asked anyone with information about the incident to reach out to Flint Police Department or Michigan State Police, according to NBC 25.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer extended the stay-at-home order until May 15, effective from April 27. Under the order, businesses were entitled to refuse services to customers not wearing a mask. No criminal policies were attached to the guideline, but state officials strongly encouraged customers to wear them.