for immediate release
November 21, 2003
N E W S R E L E A S E
A suspect is in custody in connection with three Armed Robberies in the Mary
Esther area last night and early this morning (Friday morning). Christopher David
Shook, age 22 (12-2-1980), of Mary Esther, was arrested within four minutes of the gun-point robbery of the Whataburger restaurant at 399 Mary Esther Cutoff, a few minutes
after 2:00 o'clock this morning (Friday morning).
Okaloosa Deputies and Fort Walton Beach Police Officers converged on Shook in a parking lot about one block from the scene of the robbery after a foot pursuit.
Shook was arrested on charges of Armed Robbery in connection with the Whataburger holdup at 2:14 AM, and similar robberies at Tom Thumb #10 on Martin Luther King Boulevard at Florence Avenue at 11:35 PM; and at Circle-K #4038 at 1350 West US Highway 98, Florosa, at 8:37 PM.
In addition to the three counts of Armed Robbery, Shook was charged with Aggravated Assault in connection with the Circle-K robbery. In that incident, the robber pointed a handgun at the clerk; at the other two locations, a gun was displayed but not pointed at employees. The gun believed used in the robberies, apparently dropped during the foot chase, was recovered with the arrest of Shook.
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for more information contact Rick Hord, Public Information Officer
(850) 651-7420