Cobb County

Family hides from gunman at gas station; only separated by office, glass window

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A father told Channel 2 Action News he barricaded his wife and 7-year-old son into a gas station office to hide them from a gunman.

The suspect surrendered at the Texaco on Riverside Parkway in Austell, but the couple, who manage the gas station, are worried the man’s friends will come back.

"He was waking up two to three times at night, so he slept with us," said the 7-year-old's father who did not want to be identified. "We just tell him, 'It just happened. It’s not going to happen again. You just don’t worry about it.'"

The managers' 7-year-old child has had some sleepless nights since Jan. 12. That’s the day Marcus Golphin allegedly entered the store with a gun.

Investigators told Channel 2's Chris Jose that Golphin was captured on surveillance video.

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"The customer walks in, and he shows him a gun, and he winks at me, says, 'Shhh,'" the father said.

The manager said Golphin let all of the customers out and locked the door. The manager ran to his wife and son.

They were behind the counter, protected by a glass window.

The wife called 911 and the family of three barricaded themselves into an office. The manager said he tried his best to keep his wife and son calm. They hid for 15 minutes until police told them to quickly evacuate.

"I knew we had a back door, and we can get out," he said.

Nearly three hours later, Golphin surrendered peacefully. Video from the scene shows him with his hands up.

The family said armed security guards and reinforced doors and windows will help them run the gas station safely.

"I do not let one guy scare us to do anything we want to do. You can’t scare me," the father said.

Golphin is charged with several felonies, including false imprisonment. He's being held at the Cobb County jail with no bond.