A Lakeland family strikes luck for the second time.
Abraham Shakespeare, hit the jackpot for $30 million back in 2006. Shortly afterwards, he was killed for the same earnings. Since then, his murder has been caught and convicted. And now his family has won a big sum of cash again.
"My mom plays the lottery every single day," the family told ABC Action News.
They decided to do an interview with ABC Action News, on the terms that their names and location wouldn't be shared with the public.
"She's done it for 16 years," the winner's son said.
Though, this time is a little different.The family says they would like to be smart about how they use their money and do not want the mistake of spreading the word of their good fortune. Ultimately, they do not want the same outcome, Abraham Shakespeare faced.
"You know it's just a blessing and it just shows you how God works," he said.
The family believes God sent them the money, not as a repayment from Shakespeare's death but a nod towards a good future. Possibly, a message to use it wisely.
"We all miss him and wish he could be here," the winner's son said, talking about Shakespeare.
This time, the family won by purchasing a $20 Monopoly scratch off game. Something the winner does daily.
But, when we explained the situation, the clerks inside the Circle K where the game was bought, felt the same way.
"That's sad, I will be sad for the family," Deanna Banghart, a clerk, said.
The ticket was worth exactly $1 million. After taxes, the family will take home roughly $700,000.
"They say that money is the root of all evil but we are not nervous, we are not scared. We just don't want people coming out of the wood work," the winner's son said.
The family plans on buying two vehicles and hasn't decided what to do with the rest.
