PINE BLUFF, Ark. (KTHV) - The city of Pine Bluff is praying for a miracle after a businessman, Brandon McHan, was murdered at the hands of two gunmen Monday night. They are begging for unity in their small city and say it’ll take a miracle and accountability to turn things around.
Wednesday, community members found themselves still trying to wrap their minds around the attempted robbery turned deadly at Wise Buck Guns and Pawn in Pine Bluff.
“It’s just not how it’s supposed to be,” said Leigh Anne McClain, a friend of McHan’s.
“I’m tired of it, I’m fed up with it honestly,” said Mark Cannon, a Pine Bluff small business owner.
McClain said it took the suspects 90 seconds to decide to leave the store or go back in for a third time Monday night. Ultimately, police say the suspects went back into the pawn shop and opened fire, which altered the lives of so many.
“Ninety seconds changed everything,” said McClain. “I’ll never look at 90 seconds the same. It doesn’t seem like a long time, but in this situation, it seems like an eternity.”
Friends and family continued to pay their respect to McHan Wednesday by piling flowers at the front door of his shop, many of them pleading for change.
“It’s got to stop,” said McClain. “I don’t know if it’s the drugs or hunger for money.”
They say this is the breaking point, considering an innocent man was killed while doing what he loved.
“I don’t know when, but I know there’s people out there that will come forward and bring these cowards to justice,” said Cannon.
“It’s going to take Jesus, and for people to turn their lives around,” said McClain.
Hundreds of people gathered outside the pawn shop Wednesday night to honor McHan by taking part in a candlelight vigil. Several local pastors were there to speak.
The reward of $15,000 remains for information leading to the arrests of the people responsible.