Laundromat Turns Into Shooting Gallery As Employee Engages Armed Robbers

BRADENTON, FLORIDA — There’s no shortage of armed criminals looking to take advantage of others, and that’s why there should be no shortage of armed citizens ready and willing to fight back.

But only if their heads are on straight.

Police received a call about a robbery in progress and headed to the location.

Upon arrival, an employee flagged down the deputies and said while he was at the register, a masked man entered and pointed a rifle at him, ordering him and the patrons to the ground, according to the report, which does not state the time of the robbery.

A second masked suspect entered the business holding a handgun and while the employee and customers were held at gunpoint, began taking cash from the register and then went to the back of the business looking for more cash, deputies say.

via bradenton.com

All is normal in the world of robberies so far, but then the armed robbers leave. That’s when decisions turn a little foul on the part of the good guys.

An employee armed himself and went outside to follow them. His attempt was to apparently get a description of their vehicle and to see which way they were headed.

Going after someone who is armed, let alone two people, is risky business. If the threat is leaving, let it leave.

But that’s not what happened.

At that time, one of the suspects turned and pointed the rifle at the employee, who had by then armed himself, deputies say. The employee fired five shots at the suspects. The suspects fired two shots back at the employee, according to the sheriff’s office.

A whole world of problems can arise from this, including:

• Shooting an innocent bystander
• Getting shot yourself
• Police arriving and seeing you, the good guy, shooting

The list goes on.

In the end, the suspects were identified and arrested. A third suspect was unable to be arrested, because he was shot and killed by the armed employee.

Deputies say 41-year-old Reynaldo Osorto, 34-year-old Ramon Velasquez are being charged with armed robbery with additional charges pending. There was also a third suspect involved, 42-year-old Ramiro Mendez, but he was actually struck by a bullet fired by the victim and he later died due to his injuries.

via mysuncoast.com

While I can understand a person’s desire to stop the bad guys and bring them to justice, it’s simply not worth your life or the lives of others.

It’s each person’s call, of course, and in this case no innocent people were injured or killed.

Stay within the law, stay armed and trained, and know when not to fight.