Mom Michelle Anderson Caught in Shooting at Market
Michelle Anderson
Tonight, the Conch Shell Bay community is mourning the death of Michelle Anderson, a staple at the nearby fish market whose job was to scrape and clean the day’s catch. Anderson was one of two persons injured during a mid-morning shooting at the Michael Finnegan Market on Monday. She was in the process of preparing a midday meal for her family and returned to the marketplace only after realizing that she had forgotten to pick up a few ingredients. Anderson’s return trip ended in tragedy when a gunman opened fire inside Jnn’s Shop. Reporter Isani Cayetano covers all the angles to this tragic story.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
Michelle Anderson, a mother of nine, was inside this shop in front of the Michael Finnegan Market on Monday morning, when her trip to purchase several food items she had forgotten to pick up moments earlier, turned deadly.
Natalie Ortiz
Natalie Ortiz, Daughter of Deceased
“She went to buy stuff to cook for her kids and she came home, but she forgot to buy something and she went back. And when reaching back inside the shop, they claim that a young man came to shoot, but I came to understand that the owner retaliated back and shoot and caught my mom. I’m not too sure.”
According to an employee of Jun’s Shop, several persons were inside the building when gunfire erupted. He was not present at the time of the shooting, but gave us an off-camera account of what he was told about the incident.
Voice of: Employee, Jun’s Shop
“The victim that died, the lady, we had a customer and we had a worker, our workers in here, when suddenly a man came around and started shooting. We don’t know who he actually wanted to shoot, but he was just shooting. Sadly, condolences to the family, but the lady was at the wrong spot and she got shot along with our worker.”
It’s a version of events that mentions nothing about an exchange of gunfire. The only signs of gun violence inside the shop is the perforated deep-freeze which shows where the bullet had penetrated the refrigerator. The police department has since offered its official report of what happened.
Alejandro Cowo
ASP Alejandro Cowo, O.C., C.I.B., Eastern Division
“Just after ten in the morning, police responded to shots being fired in the [Michael] Finnegan Market and as result, upon arrival at the Finnegan Market, they were informed that two shooting victims were at the hospital, one being a female and one being a male person. Upon their arrival at the hospital, they observed that a male person was being attended to by the doctor.”
Fortunately for thirty-year-old Nelson Aguilar, he was only shot in the left thigh.
Voice of: Employee, Jun’s Shop
“Luckily he’s okay, he’s okay. He’s at the hospital but that is what actually happened. It was just like two or three shots and everything just happened really fast. It was like two or three shots and the gunman went off and we just saw people started scattering about the place.”
By that time, Anderson, a popular fish cleaner in the Conch Shell Bay neighborhood, had been fatally injured. Her family received word of the deadly shooting shortly thereafter.
Natalie Ortiz
“I was at my home, I live on Pen Road, but I was there and I video called with her that morning and she said she was cooking. So I said, “Okay mom, I am coming for food.” So I hurry got my kids ready and I took a bath, but by the time I got to the entrance of my alley to come here to pick up the food, I got a strange call, like an unknown number calling me and upon answering my phone my brother said, “Mommy just got shot, and I had to ask him ten times, “My mom, my mom?” He was like, yes, yes and when he started to bawl out and then I believe that it was true because it was really something that was unbelievable.”
Today, Anderson’s sister came forward to set the record straight in the wake of hearsay being spread that her sister had witnessed a murder on Faber’s Road.
Shirlene Oliva
Shirlene Oliva, Sister of Deceased
“There’s a lot of rumors going about. I wasn’t here, but when I heard the news I came by. But one rumor I really want to clear up, I understand that there’s a rumor going around that she was the intended target because she witnessed a murder on Faber’s Road. And I am saying to the world, not only the public, that is impossible because Michelle doesn’t even know where Faber’s Road is. Michelle doesn’t go anywhere, if they would have said probably fish market or somewhere where she worked, I would have understand, but not Faber’s Road. That is impossible, so I just want to say that to the public.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.
