Gas station employee shot and killed in West Toledo

8/13/2008
BLADE STAFF
  • Gas-station-employee-shot-and-killed-in-West-Toledo-2

    Matthew Dugan was slain after a robbery at a West Toledo gas station.

    Handout not Blade photo

    • Authorities investigate the scene of a shooting at 3306 Dorr St. on Wednesday morning. (THE BLADE/LISA DUTTON) <br> <img src=http://www.toledoblade.com/graphics/icons/video.gif> <b><font color=red>VIDEO</b></font color=red>: <a href=Store camera video
    VIDEO: TPD investigator comments on the case " rel="storyimage1" title="Gas-station-employee-shot-and-killed-in-West-Toledo.jpg"/>
    Authorities investigate the scene of a shooting at 3306 Dorr St. on Wednesday morning. (THE BLADE/LISA DUTTON) &lt;br&gt; &lt;img src=http://www.toledoblade.com/graphics/icons/video.gif&gt; &lt;b&gt;&lt;font color=red&gt;VIDEO&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/font color=red&gt;: &lt;a href=&quot; /assets/mpg/TO52809813.MPG&quot; target=&quot;_blank &quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;Store camera video&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt; &lt;img src=http://www.toledoblade.com/graphics/icons/video.gif&gt; &lt;b&gt;&lt;font color=red&gt;VIDEO&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/font color=red&gt;: &lt;a href=&quot; http://www.youtube.com/v/jOC10LdSoYg&quot; target=&quot;_blank &quot;&gt;&lt;b&gt;TPD investigator comments on the case&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;

    A gas station employee finishing up his midnight shift was shot and killed on Wednesday morning following a robbery in West Toledo.

    It was the 12th homicide in Toledo this year.

    The victim, identified as Matthew Dugan, was shot in the back of the head by a gunman who fled the BP gas station at 3306 Dorr St., near Secor Road, police said.

    Mr. Dugan, 34, of West Toledo, was pronounced dead at the scene, said Lucas County deputy coroner Dr. Diane Barnett. He had only worked at the BP station for two months.

    Police said the shooting occurred after a man walked into gas station's convenience store about 7 a.m.

    After stopping at the counter, the man walked back to a cooler and grabbed a drink. He then returned to the cash register, pulled out a gun and demanded money, police said.

    Matthew Dugan was slain after a robbery at a West Toledo gas station.
    Matthew Dugan was slain after a robbery at a West Toledo gas station.

    Mr. Dugan handed the assailant an undetermined amount of money and then turned his back to him, video surveillance from the store shows.

    Moments later, Mr. Dugan was shot once in the back of the head and the gunman then fled across Dorr Street and down Searles Road, police said.

    Mr. Dugan s body was found about 7:45 a.m. when Taco Bell employee, Natasha Jones, 29, stopped at the gas station to fill up and buy a pack of cigarettes. Ms. Jones walked into the convenience store and saw the victim lying on the floor behind the counter, bleeding from a gunshot wound.

    Ms. Jones said she noticed a few dollar bills and some coins on the counter.

    "Something is not right. I just felt it," she said.

    Ms. Jones peered behind the counter and saw the victim lying in a pool of blood and then called police. She and her husband then went behind the counter and nudged the victim to see if he was alive.

    "This was an unbelievable senseless crime," Toledo police Captain Ray Carroll said. "The kind of person who commits that kind of crime is not somebody anybody wants walking around in our community."

    Captain Carroll said the doors to the convenience store are locked at midnight and opened about 6 a.m.

    He said Mr. Dugan did everything he was supposed to in that type of situation.

    He didn t fight him, he didn t try to grab the gun, he was cooperative, Captain Carroll said.

    Mr. Dugan is the city s 12th homicide victim this year. There were 13 homicides last year.

    Read more in Thursday's edition of The Blade and on toledoblade.com.