John Jefferson
Top inset: Ghazi Osta (Lohman Funeral Home Ormond). Bottom inset: John Craiger (Volusia County Jail). Background: The jewelry store where Osta was killed (WESH).
A Florida man who walked into a jewelry store, pulled a revolver out of his pocket and shot the store owner — killing him — will spend the rest of his life in prison.
John Craiger, 83, learned his fate on Tuesday in the death of Ghazi Osta, 68. Craiger’s sentence came a day after he pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.
“It’s been over three months of living with an unimaginable nightmare. So much pain, so much pain,” the victim’s wife said during the sentencing hearing, local CBS affiliate WKMG reported. “This has all been very difficult.”
“Our family has suffered a tremendous loss,” she added. “Ghazi was my husband of 39 years and father to four heartbroken children. A community who loved Ghazi … it’s all gone with your cowardly action.”
A Daytona Beach Police Department affidavit describes how the killing unfolded on July 19 at Gold & Diamond, at 536 W. International Speedway Blvd. Store employee witnesses, including the owner’s son, described to police the traumatic moments of that day.
The victim’s son told police he was in the back of the store when he heard his father start yelling, “Get this guy out of my store!” before gunshots rang out.
The son said he took out his pistol and ran to the front of the store, where he saw his father lying on the floor — and Craiger, who was also on the floor, still holding his gun.
The son told police he pointed his gun at the defendant and shot at him between one and three times. Craiger then turned and fired several shots back at him, the affidavit said.
The son said he ducked behind the counter and crawled away to shield himself from the gunfire. Behind the counter, he called 911 and waited for police to arrive.
A second witness, who was also an employee at the store, told police he was standing a few feet away from the interaction and saw the whole thing, including the argument that led up to the bloodshed. He said Craiger appeared upset about a recent transaction between him and the victim.
“As the two argued, the defendant challenged the victim to engage him in a physical altercation, demanding that the victim meet him in the parking lot,” the affidavit said. “The victim ordered the defendant to leave his store which the defendant refused to do.”
The victim said he would call the police if the defendant did not leave the store, and then when he looked down toward the counter, the defendant pulled a gun from his pocket and walked up to the counter, the document said.
“Hey Gus!” the defendant said, according to the affidavit. “The victim looked up at the defendant and the defendant fired his gun at the victim about three times.”
The second witness said he then dropped to the floor and crawled away to avoid being shot.
A third witness ran from the back of the store during the commotion, struck the defendant in the back of the head with a brass-colored vase, disarmed the assailant and held him on the ground until cops arrived, the affidavit said.
Osta’s wife described her son as a hero to Fox affiliate WOFL.
“He’s crying and says, ‘Mommy, you need to come to the store! Daddy’s been shot,”” she said. “To me, he’s a hero because he saved himself and neutralized the horrible person.”
Police found Ghazi Osta behind the counter with an apparent gunshot wound to his head. He died at a hospital. Craiger was on the ground in the front showroom area with gunshot wounds to his legs and trauma to his head. Craiger was taken to a hospital where he was treated for four gunshot wounds to his legs before he was booked into jail.
Osta was remembered on GoFundMe as a loving father of four. The Lebanese native owned the store for nearly four decades.
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