"Honeybee Killer" Case Closed? Surveillance Video Shows Customer Turning Gun on Robber

Dec 15, 2010

ORLAND PARK, Ill. (CBS) Surveillance video from a weekend robbery and subsequent shooting at a tanning salon in Orland Park, Ill. was released Tuesday.

The video shows the dramatic moments inside the LA Tan location, as a customer confronts and then kills the alleged "honeybee killer."

The surveillance video shows a young female employee behind the counter, with suspect Gary Amaya, 48, entering the scene. After chatting with the employee for a brief moment, Amaya displays a gun in his right hand.

Amaya orders the female worker to tie herself up with rope in her chair. The worker obliges and is seen fumbling with the ropes.
Customer Jason McDaniel, 29, enters the salon, sees what's happening and offers the man cash.

"Take the money and go," he says.

Amaya pulls the gun out of his coat as McDaniel steps behind the counter. Amaya tells McDaniel he's going to tie him up. The suspect reaches for rope in a bag and briefly puts the gun on the counter, reports CBS station WBBM. McDaniel doesn't hesitate. He rushes Amaya, grabs the gun from the counter and elbows the suspect in the face. There is a struggle just out of the camera's view.

One shot rings out, and still Amaya rushes at McDaniel. The customer fires again and the suspect goes down.

Tests show that the weapon Amaya took into the LA Tan salon was the same weapon used in the so-called "honeybee" or "state line" shooting spree in early October.

Amaya also physically resembles the sketch of the killer that was released by police.

The "Honeybee Killer" shot at three construction workers near Beecher, Ill. killing one of them, and later shot and wounded a farmer in Lowell, Ind. Orland Park is northwest of the Illinois-Indiana border area where an unknown gunman struck in the October attacks. Those drew national attention after the gunman reportedly asked one victim about honeybees.

Meanwhile, Jason McDaniel is being described as a hero for his quick thinking. McDaniel talked about the impact of the video.

"People will get to see what really happened, what actually, really took place. You know, it was a very scary situation," he said.

When asked if it would bother him to watch the video again, McDaniel said, "No, no. Not at all."

Orland Park Police say McDaniel showed "bravery and courage" during the incident. He will not face charges.

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