DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. —People in Daytona Beach are mourning the loss of a long-time jewelry store owner.
What You Need To Know
- Family and friends are mourning the loss of Volusia Gold and Diamond's store owner Ghazi “Gus” Osta, after he was shot and killed at his store on Friday
- Police said a customer identified as John Craiger, 83, went inside the store and after a brief verbal altercation, he shot Gus. Another employeeexchanged gunfire with the suspect who was shot multiple times in the legs and also sustained a head injury, police said
- The Osta family started thisGoFundMeto raise funds for his funeral
- Police said Craiger is being charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder
On Friday, the Daytona Beach Police Department responded to a shooting at the Volusia Gold and Diamond store in International Speedway Boulevard.
Police said a customer identified as John Craiger, 83, went inside the store and after a brief verbal altercation, he shot a store employee. The family identified the victim as store owner Ghazi “Gus” Osta.
According to the police, surveillance footage shows a witness, whom Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young confirmed is an employee of the store, coming from the back of the store and exchanging gunfire with the suspect before ducking behind the counter and crawling away.
Another witness, also a store employee, approached Craiger from behind and struck him in the head with what appears to be a small statue, police said.
Craiger was shot multiple times in the legs and also sustained a head injury, police said. The two store employees were not injured.
Craiger is being charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder.
READ MORE: Employee shot to death at Daytona Beach jewelry store, police say
On Monday, family members, friends and the local community of Daytona Beach expressed their condolences for the loss of Gus in several posts on social media, and dozens stopped by the store with flowers.
“Everybody in the neighborhood knew who he was. Everybody loved Gus,” Port Orange resident Wes Stricklen said.
He first met Gus back in 1992.
“My oldest daughter was two years old, and I wanted to surprise my wife and get her a ring. So, I stopped by this place called Volusia Gold and Diamond and met Gus. Immediately he took to my daughter. We became close friends quickly,” Stricklen said.
He described Gus as a lovely husband and father, who was always smiling and willing to help everyone around him. A very well-known member in the community, loved by so many.
After four years of friendship, Stricklen said he had a car audio store business and asked Gus if he could build on the back of his building to expand and run his business from there - Gus agreed.
“I was there six days a week, sometimes seven, Gus parked in the back. So, I saw him every single day, and we became friends,” Stricklen said.
He said last Friday, he couldn’t believe what he saw on social media.
“Someone posted: ‘Why is there police presence outside of Volusia Gold and Diamond?’ So, I pulled my car over, and I immediately called Gus on the cell phone, and it went directly to voicemail, which it doesn’t do. He normally answers,” Stricklen said.
He immediately sent him a text message. “And I just said, ‘please be okay.’”
He remembers how Gus made everyone who walked into the store feel.
“For those who know him, knows that he called everybody ‘Boo-boo’, and he’s from Lebanon. So, everybody he talked to, everybody was a ‘Boo-boo’. So, everybody’s a friend of his. And when you walked into his store, he just made you feel welcome,” Stricklen said.
He described him as a husband and father of four, who always smiled and had a great sense of humor.
“He was just a great person. And one of the things I want to make sure people understand is no matter who you are, no matter what background, no matter your status, he treated everyone with the utmost respect,” Stricklen said.
With tears in his eyes, Stricklen remembered his friend.
“I always say when I’m talking to our daughters or other people that in this world, you’re either an asset or a liability, and Gus was a huge asset in my life,” Stricklen said. “He will be missed. His dear family and the world will be robbed of having Gus around.”
The Osta family has started this GoFundMe to raise funds for his funeral.
They said they are reaching out to the community for support during this difficult time.
GoFundMe.com, or any other third-party online fundraiser, is not managed by Spectrum Bay News 9 or Spectrum News 13. For more information on how GoFundMe works and its rules, visithttp://www.gofundme.com/safety.
