A tragic incident unfolded in a Florida Walgreens when a man celebrating his birthday was fatally shot in the presence of his toddler son. The victim, 27-year-old Anthony Souvenir, was in the store with his son and girlfriend when he got into a heated argument with Jaime Taylor, 28, whom he accused of staring at his girlfriend.
Taylor had been in the store for a while, busy with his Cash App, when Souvenir and his family entered around 11:20 a.m. on February 3. According to police documents, Souvenir confronted Taylor, believing he was paying undue attention to his girlfriend. The two men exchanged words before Souvenir walked away, only to misinterpret Taylor’s phone conversation as a remark directed at him.
The situation escalated when Souvenir noticed Taylor’s firearm. Souvenir allegedly commented on the weapon, leading to Taylor feeling threatened. Taylor, in response, drew his gun but did not immediately fire. The fatal shot was fired when Souvenir reached for his bag, Taylor later told the police.
Following the shooting, Taylor fled the scene but surrendered to the Miramar police later that day. He was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and is currently being held without bail at the Broward County Jail. Taylor claimed he felt threatened by Souvenir and believed he was in danger of being shot.
Souvenir’s girlfriend called the police while he lay on the store floor. He was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. His mother remembered him as a loving father and son. She shared on a GoFundMe page that Souvenir was an amazing father who had big dreams for his son.
The family is grappling with the loss while also dealing with financial strain due to Souvenir’s mother’s pancreatic cancer diagnosis last year. Souvenir’s father described his son’s death as a senseless killing and urged people to resolve conflicts without resorting to firearms.