A ‘sovereign citizen’ in Pensacola, Florida allegedly opened fire at a seafood market after learning that they had run out of crawfish.
42 year-old Larry Wayne Kelly allegedly fired upon the L&T Seafood Market with an AK-47 from the window of his pickup truck, after he was told they had sold out of crawfish on Sunday.
Travis Griggs of the Pensacola News Journal reports:
Kelly allegedly called the seafood market to order crawfish and became “incredibly irate” when an employee said the store didn’t have any, according to a Sheriff’s Office report.From 4:50 p.m. to 5:20 p.m., Kelly called the market 11 times, according to the business’ caller ID. The later calls went unanswered because the business closed at 5 p.m., investigators said.
Employees found 11 bullet holes in the front of the store the next morning.
When law enforcement tracked him down and tried to arrest him on foot, Kelly allegedly attempted to hit them with his car.
According to the Sheriffs Department, four loaded guns were found in Kelly’s car, including a 12-gauge shotgun, a pistol, and a revolver. The book “The Sociopath Next Door” was also found. Kelly told law enforcement that he is a sovereign citizen (someone who believes that almost all forms of government in the U.S. are illegitimate), and that he doesn’t have to follow the law.
Griggs reports that Kelly was charged with “fleeing police, aggravated assault and weapons violations,” but was soon released on a $32,000 bond Monday. He was then arrested again on the same day and charged with “firing at a building, firing from a vehicle and criminal mischief.”
As of Wednesday, Kelly was being held on a $575,000 bond.
Store owner Tommy Nguyen told the News Journal he had sold out of crawfish because it was a holiday weekend, but was restocked by Wednesday. “If you don’t have crawfish, you can get crab or something else” he asked. “Why is crawfish so important?”
Jillian Rayfield
Jillian Rayfield is a Reporter/Blogger for TPM, and started as a News Intern in May 2009. She graduated from Cornell University in May 2008 with a degree in Film, and worked as a Research Assistant for a market research firm in London in between.