North Carolina Clerk Pulls Shotgun on Robber…You Know What Happened Next

WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA – Essam Ahmed manages the AZ Patterson Grocery in this hyphenated town in the northern part of the state, not too far from the Virginia line. He didn’t think much about the customer who actually had a question about fidget spinners. And when the same man asked about cell phones, that probably wasn’t out of the ordinary either. But then the inquisitive “customer” — who police are still looking for — drew a gun and pointed it Ahmed.

He chose…poorly.

“I thought about my family, my wife, my son, my daughter. What they could do if that guy shot me,” said Essam Ahmed, a manager of the AZ Patterson Grocery.

So many things went through Ahmed’s head because he knew, with just a pull of the trigger, his life could be over.

“55 years of my life looks like a fast movie on my eyes,” said Ahmed.

The would-be robber demanded all of the store’s cash and threatened to kill Ahmed. But then something outside distracted him. And that gave the manager just enough of an opportunity.

Ahmed pulled out a shotgun of his own, and the man bolted. He says that decision could have cost him his life, but at least he would have known he did the right thing. Even now, he says he would do the same thing.

“Yes, because this is my mentality. This is my beliefs. If you do the right thing every day, every time, sure God would bless you,” said Ahmed adamantly.

Looking down the barrel of a shotgun can focus the mind in an instant. And in this case, it had the desired effect. The unidentified stick-up man took off into the night like a scalded dog.

Even now, (Ahmed) says he would do the same thing.

“Yes, because this is my mentality. This is my beliefs. If you do the right thing every day, every time, sure God would bless you,” said Ahmed adamantly.

Ahmed says he had heard about several recent break-ins around Winston-Salem and considered what he’d do in a situation like this. But he admitted thinking about it and living it are two very different things.

Would the robber really have shot Mr. Ahmed? There’s no way to know. But the manager didn’t want to take that chance. This is why Americans arm themselves. Because when seconds count, police are only minutes away. That, and because it’s their right to protect themselves from those who would threaten to kill them. May it ever be thus.