JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A teenager was depositing checks at an ATM in the city's St. Nicholas area early Monday evening when a man pulled up yelling racial slurs and pulled out a gun, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
The incident happened just before 6 p.m. after banking hours at the Wells Fargo on Beach Boulevard.
"I never thought something like this would happen to me," the teenage victim said.
The Englewood High School student, who wished to remain anonymous, said he had just deposited two checks from work at the ATM and began to walk away when he was confronted by a man he did not know.
"When I was still at the ATM, the truck pulled up behind me and then drove off again. And then he came back around and I started walking to go home and the truck pulled up behind me again and that's when he started talking to me," the victim said.
As he tried to continue walking away, the teenage boy said the driver of the red Ford F-150 pulled up again.
He was like, 'You think this is a ******* game ******? I'll kill you. I'll kill you,'" the victim said. "So then I looked back and I see him pull out the gun and I'm like, 'Oh, this man has a gun.' And I took off and started running."
According to the police report, the driver followed the teen and even tried ramming him in the median of Beach Boulevard. The teen was able to make it to a McDonald's restaurant across the street, where he called his mother and alerted workers he needed help.
"It's scary. It's hurtful. You don't want your child to have to go through that. It's crazy," said the victim's mother, who New4Jax has chosen not to name.
After picking up her son, the mother said she called police. But since the man is still out there, she said, she will no longer let her children walk in their own neighborhood and plans to take bold steps to keep her family safe.
"The things that are going on, other things my child just went through, I'm almost to the point where, when they turn 18 in a year, I would like to get them a concealed weapon carrying license because it's crazy. You can't even walk the streets without someone harassing you for no reason at all," the mother said.
The teen said he will also be making changes to keep himself safe.
"Now, I just know to be more cautious and also let my mom know where I am," he said.
Gil Smith, News4Jax crime and safety analyst, also warned if anyone ever sees someone just sitting in a bank parking lot after hours, do not go to the ATM -- no matter how inconvenient that might be.
The driver of the truck is described as a white man with a goatee and a chubby face who was wearing a camouflage jacket and black gloves.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Sheriff's Office at 904-630-0500. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.