WATCH: Florida Man Killed While Protecting Elderly Man From Verbal Abuse
A 57-year-old Florida man was shot dead Friday morning after he stepped in to help an elderly man who was being verbally abused by another man.
The incident happened when Philip Antonino was on his way to his auto repair establishment in Pembroke Park a little after 9 a.m. EDT.
He noticed a man berating the elderly man who was cutting the grass in the field adjacent to a Kwik Stop store at 5551 W. Hallandale Beach Blvd., east of State Road 7.
As any Good Samaritan would have done, Antonino too intervened and told the man to back off.
“Moments after their first words, the suspect pulled out a gun and shot Antonino multiple times,” said Gina Carter, a spokeswoman for the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO).
Following reports of gunshots, the sheriff's office responded to it and transported the victim to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, according to official website of BSO.
The suspect fled the scene on foot and still remains at large.
In the video released by the BSO, the gunman is seen screaming and gesturing at the elderly man. Antonino is seen walking up to the gunman and an argument breaks out between them. However, the video ends before Antonio is shown being shot.
Homicide detectives described the suspect as "a black male. He has a thin build and a dark complexion, possibly in his 30s and approximately 5 foot 8 inches tall. He is bald and was clean-shaven. He wore black jeans and a long-sleeve black shirt with white text on the sleeves," according to BSO website.
Antonino's wife Anna urged authorities to catch the man who killed her husband and punish him, CBS Miami reported. Overcome with grief, she said: "We cannot kill each other. This life is given not to kill." She
Anna described her late husband as someone who always took care of others and who overcame several hurdles in life to become successful.
"My husband came to this country when he was 19 years old," she said. "He didn’t know one word of English language. Despite the obstacles, he could make a life for himself."
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