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Police: Gas Price War Leads to Shooting

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[November 17, 2007]  DETROIT (AP) -- A price war between competing gas stations apparently led to one gas station operator shooting another on Friday, police said.

Jawad Bazzi, 46, was killed Friday morning after crossing the street from his BP station on Detroit's southwest side and confronting the 51-year-old operator of a Marathon station.

Bazzi apparently was angry that his competitor was lowering the price of regular, unleaded gas from $2.96 to $2.93 per gallon, police said.

The two men began to argue and then fight. Moments later the Marathon station operator pulled a gun and fired several shots. Bazzi was struck at least once in the head.

"That is what the argument was about. It was a difference of three cents," Detroit Deputy Police Chief Claudia Barden-Jackson said. "We as consumers are incensed about the price of gas, but you never think of it in terms of the suppliers."

The Marathon station operator was arrested but had not been charged as of Friday evening. Police did not release the man's name because he hadn't been charged. Barden-Jackson did not know if he had an attorney.

[Associated Press]

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