HOUSTON – A Houston man is recovering in the hospital after he was shot in his leg after a dispute over the price of a Slim Jim, according the victim.
Cameron Carson, 25, said he and his co-worker stopped at the Chevron gas station located at 431 West Little York Tuesday morning for gas and a snack.
"I got flashbacks, I can't even go to sleep because I’m getting nightmares all the time,” Carson said as he reflected on what happened. “It’s sad, I don’t trust nothing, I don’t want to go to any of the stores around here, it makes me want to carry a gun, for something over a $1.69 Slim Jim,” Carson said.
He said he felt uncomfortable when he first walked into the store and accused the owner of stereotyping him.
“I walked in the store and I tried to buy a Slim Jim, the guy accused me and stereotyped me for looking like I was about to get him or something. He said, ‘People like you, I’ll kill you,’ at first,” said Carson, as he made the sign of a cross over his body.
Carson said he paid for the beef stick, but accused the owner of overcharging him after the transaction. He alleges the owner walked outside and said the Slim Jim was actually $3.
“He came at my co-worker and my co-worker gave him the money and he refused to take it, so he got in my face and I pushed him, he shot me right there by the gas pump, walked away and left me there,” said Carson.
Carson’s co-worker Kenneth Allen called for 911 and a witness used a piece of their clothes to try and stop the bleeding. The bullet hit a vein in Carson’s upper right leg near his groin and he was in surgery Tuesday morning.
“A guy pulled up, he saved my life right there, he pulled his shirt off and tied it around my leg, right there, he saved my life because I would have literally bled out,” Carson said.
Carson said he had the receipt in his pocket, but he was bleeding so much it was covered in blood and was thrown away with his pants. He said he’s confident surveillance video will show he paid for the Slim Jim.
“What makes it worse, you shot me at a gas pump, so not only you put me in danger, you put everyone else out there getting gas in danger,” said Carson.
KPRC Channel 2 News went to the gas station on Wednesday for the owner’s side of the story, but the building was locked and workers used black paint to cover the Chevron signs. KPRC also went to his home, left a business card and called phone numbers associated with his name in order to get his side of the story.
When asked why the building was closed and why workers were covering up the Chevron logos, the company said in a statement:
“We are aware of the incident that occurred on the premises of a Chevron-branded gas station facility yesterday and are saddened by the outcome. This location was removed from Chevron’s network several weeks ago and was in the process of being de-branded for contractual reasons.”
PRIOR SHOOTING AT SAME GAS STATION
In November, the owner of the same gas station, Mohammed Kahloon, fought off three would-be robbers. Surveillance video showed the suspects running into the store with guns.
Kahloon pulled out his gun and a gun battle ensued.
The owner was shot eight times in the arm and chest, but his shot killed one of the suspects.