MUSKEGON, Mich. — A bizarre attack, in which a customer lashed out at a store clerk seemingly at random, had police investigating in Muskegon Thursday.
The incident played out around 7 p.m. Wednesday evening and involved a customer at Psycle Sam's Heady Glass.
Security footage taken from inside the Apple Avenue headshop showed the suspect wearing a green hooded sweatshirt milling about the store for several minutes prior to the attack.
The man seen in the video then turned and appeared to whisper to another shopper beside him near the bottom of the frame.
Seemingly without warning, the customer then turned and sucker punched the employee assisting him in the face, beating him repeatedly until the man collapsed in front of the register.
Management told 13 ON YOUR SIDE that Psycle Sam’s, which sells smoking paraphernalia and glass art, was an ordinarily quiet business.
Employees believe the suspects had visited its Muskegon storefront at least once prior to Wednesday’s attack.
Though workers speculated the attack may have been an attempted robbery, nothing was stolen.
“That’s what's even weirder,” Regional Manager Gannon Moss related. “You didn't even grab anything. You just came in and assaulted someone.”
Moss noted a third accomplice had held the door off-camera as the attacker ran out.
“It seems like it was premeditated--just the way that they came in and communicated with each other… they knew that whatever they were planning was wrong.”
Muskegon Police said they were looking into the situation Thursday, reviewing security footage in an attempt to identify the attacker and his two suspected helpers.
Police, however, had yet to pin down a possible motive tied to the brazen beating at the time of publication Thursday, but believe it may have been tied to a personal grudge or dispute.
The employee involved was a manager, who was in the midst of celebrating his birthday with a busted lip Thursday.
Moss said he was hopeful the investigation would bear out.
“We do have clear, clear images of all three of them. None of them are masked up. They all looked at the cameras multiple times.”
The vehicle the attackers may have used was described as a newer red or burgundy Chrysler 200.
Anyone with relevant information was asked to contact Muskegon Police.
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