Surveillance Video Released Of Customer Shooting And Killing Armed Robber

DOLTON, ILLINOIS — An armed citizen with a concealed carry permit will not be charged in the self-defense shooting of an armed robber at an auto parts store. Local media reports;

On September 13, surveillance video shows a gunman entered the Advance Auto Parts store in Dolton, went behind the service counter and came face to face with a customer while two employees locked themselves in a washroom and called 911. But this armed robbery had a different ending than most. The gunman tried but failed to escape through a back door. He then heads out the front door where he’s shot and killed. Not by police, but by the customer he had confronted earlier. That customer had gone outside, hid behind a car and fired three shots. One shattered the glass door, the others took down the robber.

This customer did the right thing by going outside after the employees went into a room and locked the door. Then when faced with the threat outside, he fired his shots at the suspect. Thinking about this situation, I likely would have done something similar. I don’t feel that I would have gotten into my vehicle, because the armed robber might see me inside the vehicle. Instead, taking a safe position behind the vehicle seems like the more reasonable thing to do. It provides both cover and concealment. Then, if the threat is perceived to still be a threat, appropriate action is taken. If the robber had successfully made it out the back door, this would be a whole different story. Seeing that he didn’t, he risked being shot by that armed citizen. It’s a hazard of the thug life.