Attempted Video Store Robbery Turns Into Gunfight After Clerk Fights Back

RICHLAND COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA — A video store clerk managed to return fire after he was shot by an armed robber.  According to the sheriff’s office, the clerk was shot after he told the robber he couldn’t open the safe.  He collapsed from the gun shot but managed to retrieve his own handgun and return a single shot before the robber fled the scene.  He sustained non-life-threatening injuries according to WMBF News.

We always cheer on store clerks who stand up to armed robbers but we’ve been seeing a disturbing trend with armed robbers being loose on the trigger.  This is all the more reason why we need to maintain a vigilant sense of situational awareness and ensure, if possible, we back up our fellow employees or patrons.  A fantastic example was a recent attempted robbery at a Chicago T-Mobile store.  It was thwarted by a fast-acting employee with a concealed carry handgun.

While we’d love to see every story end like that one, the reality is that sometimes bad guys don’t wait to open fire.  In fact, the mixture of adrenaline, nerves, or just plain meanness all seem to contribute to a nasty trifecta of itchy trigger finger syndrome.  It’s great to hear that the clerk made it out relatively okay but it’s still a harrowing reminder we can’t take anything for granted.

A recent Jack In The Box robbery left an employee dead after the armed robber decided he wasn’t moving fast enough.  It doesn’t take a lot to swing the tide of nasty behavior.

Here’s hoping for a speedy recovery for the clerk.

In another slightly unrelated point: video stores still exist?