An 80-year-old California store owner was filmed opening fire on a would-be robber with a shotgun, prompting the suspect to flee his business while shouting “he shot my arm off! He shot my arm off” The act of self-defense occurred at the Norco Market & Liquor in Norco, just east of Los Angeles, after the store owner was confronted by a gunman brandishing a rifle.
WATCH the news video of it:
Authorities said that at 2:45 a.m., four male suspects in a black BMW SUV sought to rob Norco Market & Liquor, located in the 2800 block of Clark Avenue.”In this case, a lawfully armed member of our community prevented a violent crime and ensured their own safety, while being confronted with multiple armed suspects,” the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Surveillance video provided to FOX 11 shows a male suspect wearing a black and red sweatshirt and ski mask entering the store before pointing a rifle at the store owner behind the counter. Upon spotting that the man entering the store was armed and wearing a mask, the 80-year-old store owner quickly grabbed a shotgun from under the counter and opened fire on the suspect. The suspect was then seen fleeing the store.
As the suspect was fleeing the store, surveillance video from outside the establishment showed a second suspect inside the black SUV exiting the vehicle, also with a gun. As the suspect made his way back to the getaway car, he can be heard yelling, “He shot my arm off.”
After they noticed the first suspect fleeing the scene, the two suspects got back into the vehicle and drove off. The 23-year-old shooter – who has not yet been publicly identified – was later found at a local hospital “suffering from a gunshot wound that corresponds to a shotgun blast,” according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office. He is still in critical but stable condition and will be jailed upon his release.
According to police, the other men inside the getaway vehicle, who were also found at the hospital, have been identified as Justin Johnson, 22, of Inglewood, Jamar Williams, 27, of Los Angeles and Davon Broadus, 24, of Las Vegas.
The BMW SUV they were traveling in had already been reported stolen and contained numerous stolen X’s – and now each of the men is facing theft and conspiracy charges and is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail, the sheriff’s office said.
The 80-year-old store owner, on the other hand, is recovering in a hospital after suffering a heart attack not long after the attempted robbery, Fox11 LA said.
Workers and customers alike are commending the business owner, Craig, for his quick action. “What if he wouldn’t have been as quick as it was. It could’ve been him,” a customer told Eyewitness News. “The sheriff’s warned us that this had been going on in the area recently and to just be on your toes, you know, so he was on his toes. Thank God,” employee Marnie said.
This story syndicated with licensed permission from Frank who writes about Conservative News. Follow Frank on Facebook and Twitter