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Cici's Pizza commends Peoria location manager for protecting patrons during shooting

Posted at 5:37 PM, May 13, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-13 19:32:34-04

TULSA, Okla. — Police say Derrec Shaw is the gunman who injured two people outside Cici's Pizza on Friday. Staff with Cici's Pizza on Peoria say their manager prevented this from being much worse.

Mark Jimenez was putting up the blinds Friday evening while dealing with a dinner rush. As he chatted with customers, the manager saw something unusual.

"I saw a guy walking with a gun in his hand. He put it in his pocket and I thought "maybe he bought it or something." But then he took it back out and was walking towards us and I said "I better lock that door," Jimenez said.

Jimenez stood behind the door until the shooter walked away. Then, when a man was shot in the arm, Jimenez helped him inside. Finally, he tried to keep diners calm and inside during the chaos.

"Screaming, kids, emotional, people on phones, tears, shock, disbelief... all that," Jimenez said.

Return-customers know the manager by name. His fellow employees said this act was heroic, but not unexpected.

"Putting himself in front of everybody and making sure he was the first point of contact between him and the suspect definitely shows what kind of heart he has not only for our business but for the community as well," area manager Andrew Delossantos said.

Jimenez tells 2 Works for You he never stopped to consider fear. He just wanted to keep patrons safe.

"It's family. You'd do the same at home. You see someone with a gun coming, you're going to lock the door. Same thing, didn't want them in," Jimenez said.

Records show the gunman was an ex-convict who faced multiple charges for possession of a firearm.

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