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The Rotunda
Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Local Business Owner Attacked at Gunpoint: Lee Speaks Out

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Mickey 7, local Farmville tobacco store.

Mickey Lee, owner of local Farmville Tobacco store, Mickey 7, had two choices as his assailants waived a handgun in his face. Give up his belongings, or take a stand. “Shoot me! Shoot me if you want!” he said as three males surrounded him.

Lee, 41, closed the store on Nov. 13, and went to turn off the lights, when he heard a loud banging on the back door. Curious to see what it was, he grabbed a small iron rod before going outside.

 “I walked around the building and I saw nothing, so I got in my car to warm it up,” he said. “After a few minutes, I got out of my car and was headed back in the store, and that’s when I found myself on the ground.”

 Lee said he tried to get up, but  “so many hands” were hitting his head. When he first attempted to stand, one of the men tried to grab his iron rod, and that’s when he dropped his keys.

 “They picked up my keys, and one of them asked me,  ‘which key’ and pointed to my shops door,” he said. “I was fighting with the others, and they were fighting me back. They hit me in my back, and that’s when I fell on the ground again.”

 When he was on the ground, Lee saw one of the men struggling to open the door, but he couldn’t figure out which key. “He was trying to open it, and then dropped the cover off of his face. I saw he had a little mustache and was dark-skinned.”

 Lee continued, “Another one got close to me and I looked at his face and said ‘I know you!’ and I grabbed his mask, revealing his face. He screamed at me and they all ran away.” Lee shouted,  “Give me my keys!” but it was to no avail. “They got the keys, but I changed my car and door locks, so they can’t do anything.” Lee said other personal items were stolen as well.

 According to a press release from the Farmville Police department, the suspects fled toward Depot St. before they were seen crossing Main St., and almost getting hit by a truck.

 “I called the cops and they came right away,” said Lee, who still feels the pain from his injuries three weeks later. “The ambulance came and they took me to Centra hospital. The hospital tried to help me, but they said ‘we don’t have everything here, you need to go to Richmond.’”

 Lee said he doesn’t remember much after that. “The drive to Richmond was fuzzy.  I was really drowsy and didn’t really understand what was going on.”

 Lee was in the hospital a total of five days before being released. “Thank God I walked out, because I couldn’t walk for a couple of days,” he said. “My liver was bleeding, my kidney was bleeding, and they thought I had brain damage, but they found out my brain was okay. I was also bruised all over my body.”

 According to Lee, Mickey 7 was opened in 2012, and has been burglarized multiple times preceding this incident. “They only took small things in the past like cigarettes, and cigars,” he said.

 As of now, there is no sign of whether or not the suspects have been apprehended. Detective Sergeant Chris Moss, who is investigating the situation, was reached out to for an update on the situation, but the call was not returned. “I don’t know what’s happening in the investigation,” said Lee.  “I get too caught up in the store and forget to check in with them. But I think if they find anything, they will contact me.”

 Lee said that at this point, he doesn’t feel safe. “Sometimes I have nightmares,” he said. “Like they might take me again. If you don’t pay attention someone might attack you, so you have to be prepared to fight back.”

 Though Lee does have a firearm, he says he doesn’t plan to carry. “I have a gun already but I don’t want to use it,” he said. “Now I just really look around and take caution. I leave before it gets really dark and close at 5 o’clock now, it used to be seven.”

 Lee, a former New York resident, said, “Here in this little community it is very sad.” He added, “People come from up north to seek shelter and safety, and then we don’t find safety here.” 

The Rotunda will update the story in the future with any new information regarding the suspects, and future developments from the investigation.

Mickey 7, local Farmville tobacco store.

Mickey Lee, Owner of Mickey 7, speaks out about incident.

Pictured: Mickey Lee, Mickey 7 owner, who nursed multiple injuries.

Mickey Lee looks through his shops window as he talks about his encounter at gunpoint.