Concealed Carrier And Armed Robber Get Into Gun Battle, Neither Survive

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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS — 64-year-old Mark Miller was at a property that he owned, talking on the phone with his son as he paced outside. They were setting up father-son plans to catch a movie.

During the call, his son Mark Jr., heard a popping sound. Then, his father talks.

“Mark, I’ve been shot.”

It’s the last thing that Mark Jr. would hear from his father.

Police believe Miller, 64, was outside the residence when the gunman pulled a handgun and attempted to rob the older man, Chicago police said. But Miller, a licensed concealed carry permit holder, pulled his own handgun, said officer Michelle Tannehill, a police spokeswoman.

via Herald-Review

The 33-year-old suspect is said to have been a gang member, and had a lengthy criminal past. In fact, he was recently released from prison on parole.

Police say the suspect fired a total of three shots, striking Miller in the abdomen. Miller was able to fire back, however, and landed two shots on his target. The suspect did not make it.

Miller was at the property to check on some plumbing for his son. He was closing an outside door when he was confronted by the armed criminal.

“He was being a dad. He was being a father. He was trying to help me out, and it wound up costing him his life in the process,” Miller Jr. said.

Prison time didn’t stop this suspect from continuing his ways, and it wound up costing the life of an innocent man.

Court records show the suspected robber had an extensive criminal background with numerous arrests and felony convictions for gun and theft charges. The man was released from the Pinckneyville Correctional Center on stolen vehicle and gun convictions exactly a month to the day he was killed, state records show.

The armed citizen doesn’t always win, and these stories are difficult to read. Miller knew the risks, and made the decision not to become a victim at the hands of a hardened criminal. His bravery is shown through his actions.

When confronting an armed suspect, we can fall. There is no guarantee that we’ll be the one to survive the encounter. Keep that in mind when choosing your battles, and be prepared to go into the fight 100%.

Rest In Peace, Mark Miller.

h/t Ned Miller