Armed Man Tries To Rob Group Of People At Gas Station, Is Shot By Armed Customer

FORT WAYNE, INDIANA — The lesson of this one is, if you are going to try and rob a group of people, make sure you account for the whole group. An armed robber tried to rob a car full of people. The only problem is, there was one person missing from the car.

Officers responded to the Sunoco gas station at 1416 Oxford St. around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday.

According to an FWPD lieutenant at the scene, witnesses told police a group of people walked out of the convenience store and got in a car at one of the pumps.

That’s when a man wearing a mask apparently walked up to the car, pulled out a handgun, and tried to rob them at gunpoint.

While that was happening, another man with the group walked out of the store and saw what was unfolding. He pulled out a gun and exchanged fire with the robbery suspect.

As police searched the area, they found the suspect about a block away with a handgun and a face mask nearby. Police said he was suffering from a gunshot wound.

Via WANE.com

The Breakdown:

A group of people stopped off at their local gas station. The group went it to store to get a few things. As they returned to their car, an opportunistic robber approached them. Armed with a gun, he demanded their goods.

Fortunately for the group, one of their friends was still in the store. When he came out of the store he saw his friends being robbed. He quickly drew his own firearm and shot at the armed robber. This sent the robber and the group of friends scrambling in all directions.

The robber took off and was later found a block away suffering from a gunshot wound. The wound was not life threatening; he will survive.

The Bad:

Looking at all gun related activities in this story, the bad here falls on the situational awareness of the robber. Obviously, trying to rob someone at gun point is the BIG bad here. We don’t advocate anyone turn to a life of crime.

That being said, the robber’s lack of situational awareness both prior too, and during the incident was a mistake he regrets. If he was scoping out this group ahead of time, good awareness will have had him count the party size. Furthermore, being aware of his surroundings at all times during the robbery may have prevented him from getting shot.

Good, lawful gun carrying people can learn from this. If we ever spot a group that could potentially be dangerous, put your situational awareness to use. Keep count of the group size, and if they do become a problem, be aware of where each of them are. Knowing who, how many, and where your threats are is crucial.

Another bad thing to mention here is that a couple errant bullets hit a home across the street from the gas station. A few of the shots the shooter fired missed and went beyond his target. Fortunately, no one was injured inside the home. However, that could have changed the entire dynamic of this story had someone been shot or killed inside the home.

The Good:

I hope the group that was being robbed at gun point took their friend out to dinner – at the very least. First off, good on the shooter for carrying a firearm. That is the first step in defending yourself in these situations.

Secondly, acting quickly as soon as he saw the threat was very important. Had he stood around debating internally if he should get involved, run inside to call police, or shout at the armed robber; this incident could have ended very differently.

Instead, he recognized the threat, drew his weapon and landed at least one of his shots on target. He sent the bad guy running, and saved his friends from being robbed. Police are considering this a self defense shooting. No charges are being filed against the shooter.