Shoppers burnt as man attacks store

Press, 4 July 1983, Page 10

Shoppers burnt as man attacks store

NZPA Tampa A man walked into a busy supermarket in Florida yesterday, doused the floor, check-out counters and some people with petrol, and ignited it — killing at least one person and injuring 16 others, said sheriff officials. The petrol exploded like a bomb, sending some shoppers running to the rear of the store and others, their bodies in flames, outside to the parking lot, said witnesses. At least four of the injured suffered burns over

100 per cent of their bodies and were in a critical condition, including a girl, aged five, said Tampa general hospital. After igniting the gas, the man turned and left the store and walked away from the scene, said Harvey Hunter, of the Sheriff’s Department. The man was last seen walking down the street. Earlier, Mr Hunter said that three people had died including a woman and her child. But Natalie Bodine, an information officer, said: “The Fire Department

made a mistake. One is for sure dead, and 16 are injured.” The Sheriff’s Department said that they were looking for a man identified as John William Ferry, aged 30, of Tampa, in connection with the incident. The man entered the front door of the Winn-Dixie store in southern Hillsborough county carrying a container, said authorities. He poured petrol in the aisles and on some of the people and set it on fire with either a cigarette lighter or a match.