Dallas Police are looking for a shooter after an Oak Cliff man was shot to death in a store parking lot. Police had been investigating the murder at McGriff's Beer and Wine Store at Marsalis and Saner just after 11 p.m. Wednesday, when they heard someone firing several shots nearby.
Workers at McGriff's claim they had been working inside and heard gunshots outside. They say they walked outside and discovered Eric Handy, 28, dead in the parking lot. He’s known by witnesses as a guy from the neighborhood and lives just two blocks from where he was murdered. Right now, police are still investigating a motive.
The family of Eric Handy is devastated. Loved ones say he ran to the store for cigarettes, when police say a shooter snuffed out his life.
"He was someone's son, someone's brother, someone's uncle. This is so senseless. The violence needs to stop," said Cherry Handy, the murder victim's sister.
Investigators say Handy was shot several times in his upper body and head.
"Would anyone else want to go through this? Think, your loved one is coming back, going to the store to get a pack of cigarettes, then you hear news like that. He had family who loved him. He didn't deserve to be taken away from this world," said Handy.
Police told NBC 5 and the family that a surveillance camera captured the last minute of Handy's life leading up to the shooting. Investigators believe Handy was targeted by two men.
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"They said someone was singling him out, because they had footage. They came up and looked like they went right to him. He heard a noise, hesitated, turned back around, then he's gone," said Handy.
Handy has a felony arrest record going back to 2003 for car and building burglaries, evading arrest, and stealing a car. His sister says nothing justifies taking his life.
"He was a loving person, regardless. We all have faults in life, look past that. Whoever done this needs to be brought to justice. If you have a conscience, come forward. You've gotta pay for what you've done," said Handy.
The FBI is helping police get the surveillance video from the store of the shooting. Investigators hope to release it soon to help find Handy’s killer.
Officers had been looking into Handy's murder, when they heard at least three shots a few blocks away. They raced to Ewing Avenue where they heard the gunfire and got a report of an active shooter.
As officers pulled up, they say they saw a man in a gray Chevy car speeding away. They caught up with the car and say the driver ran several stop signs. Officers say he jumped out of the car less than a mile away, reportedly at his parents' home on Alabama.
Police arrested George Zapata, 21, for the traffic violation and evading police. He is not under arrest for the murder, and right now, officer do not know if he pulled the trigger at the shooting on Ewing. Investigators did not find a gun on him, and the people at the home took off before police could talk to them.
