Philly Store Owner Shoots, Kills Man Attempting To Rob Him

Bob Irwin highlights the latest self-defense and other shootings of the week. Read them and see what went wrong, what went right and what we can learn from self-defense with a gun.

USA –-(Ammoland.com)- KYW 1060 News radio reports 03-15-19 in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Police say a man is dead after being shot by the owner of the store he was trying to rob in West Philadelphia on Thursday night.

Philadelphia Police say a man in his 20s went into the store, at 54th Street and Wyalusing Avenue, wearing a ski mask and armed with a gun. The store owner was also armed with a gun, and he shot the masked man one time in the stomach.

The would-be robber left the store, and he was found by police in a car nearby. He was taken to Presbyterian Hospital for treatment but later died from the gunshot wound.

The store owner was not hurt, and police say they did take two guns from the scene, one which belonged to the attempted robber, the other to the store owner.

Comments:

Convenience stores, head shops, delis, anything open late are at constant threat from armed robbers. Most national chains do not allow their employees to be armed. They worry more about lawsuits then employees’ lives. Independent owners seem to think differently. Defending your family members and their livelihood is way more important than defending establishments owned by others. Hopefully, the store owner has another gun.

About Bob Irwin

Bob is retired after 30 years of ownership of The Gun Store & Indoor Range in Las Vegas. He continues his 2A issues show “Fired Up with Bob Irwin” on YouTube and on KLEY 1230 AM, The Nevada Talk Network on Saturdays.

As a firearm instructor of Concealed Firearm Applicants, Armed Security Officer and Law Enforcement Academies over his career, Bob appears frequently as an expert witness for firearm & use of force cases in Federal, State, and local courts.


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Dave Arnold

“it might be a long time before you get it back.”……

If EVER.

Doug McNamara

Buy this guy a tall beer!

Old 1811

Of course the police took the store owner’s gun. They always do, because it’s evidence. They can’t very well conduct an investigation without running ballistics comparisons, and they can’t do that without taking the gun.
And, notice that the offender, after being fatally gut-shot, “left the store.” If he had enough energy left to do that, he had enough energy to continue his attack, had he chosen to do so.
“Stopping power” is a myth.

Tionico

all the information the coppers need was already at the scene.. store owner claims he fired, and that the perp did not. Perp has one hole, Perp died. Perp DID have a gun. The only place the hole in the perp could have come from is the owner’s gun, as he says. So WHY take the owner’s gun, leaving him defenseless for who knows how long? Has the owner committed a crime? Not unless surving an armed robbery by shooting is a crime… and I’ve no doubt some would hold this as true.

Charles Moore

Yeah, I don’t like that either; I think that most of the time it is just “getting another gun off of the street” and doing their Master’s bidding. Fortunately, not all of them do this. MY feeling is that If I identify the caliber I used and the brand headstamped on the fired casing (along with the expanded bullet found in the perp.) that that should be all of the physical evidence needed. I only use one of any of the best loads that I’ve found, so yes, it WILL be expanded. *See above reply to Old 1811. Getting your… Read more »

Jerry S.

As a former LEO myself, I have seen those weapons mutilated by overzealous cops for “chain of evidence” reasons. I witnessed an officer actually inscribe his SSN on the flat of a receiver of a very expensive shotgun, absolutely ruining it. Not a fan of procedures like that.

Wild Bill

A cop like that deserves to have his SSN and name on the internet.

Old 1811

They have to take the gun and test it, because they have to be able to prove in court that (in this case) the store owner’s gun is the one that put the hole in the bad guy. The only way to do that is through ballistics. “Store owner claims he fired one shot, and that the perp did not” is not conclusive evidence. And someone besides the store owner could have shot the robber (Didn’t you ever see “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance”?). If, for example, the store owner’s wife actually fired the shot, the store owner might… Read more »

Charles Moore

But some loads, even within the same caliber, are much better than others. I’ve done a lot of research on that over about 30 years and especially over the past year-and-a-half with the newer offerings. Anyone reading this may reply with a good email address to see the latest. You’ll also get any new tests done.

William Wilson

Thank you Sir
[email protected]

keith

The shop owner got rounds on target, not easy in a stress situation. He goes home to his family, grub goes to hell.
A win,win situation!

Dick Younger

Which means, if you are legally justified to use force, forget the notion of “one-stop kills”. Shoot until the person is down and no longer a threat to anyone. Perp ran from the store and could have taken out his pain and anger whoever got in his way. (But once down,and no longer a threat, no “finishing shots”. We are not executioners.)

Tommy

I would make a comment but your censors would just delete it!

Charles Moore

Go ahead. It should show up later today or tomorrow. Those of us that post here often will always welcome all comments if they are civil in nature. Most of us will try to help and inform those with mistaken views and even those that hold opposing views intentionally.

Rock

THAT is justice dealt correctly !

Timothy Votaw

Huh? “Hopefully the store owner has another gun” ??? Hold on a minute. There should be no reason why he shouldn’t get his gun used in the defensive shooting back.
.
Oh, hell, my mistake. I forgot, he probably lives and works in a gun-free zone in a gun free city, in a nearly gun-free state, if it’s Philadelphia, PA.

JoeUSooner

Oh, he will likely get his pistol back, EVENTUALLY…

Charles Moore

Some of the Commie jurisdictions intentionally try to store your guns in the worst possible environment that they can get away with in order to cause harm and damage, even to the point of rendering the firearm useless. Do not let them take it. If needed to appease them, give them the make and caliber, but NO MORE. It simply is NOT needed for their investigative purposes unless they have ill will toward you in most cases. (“Your results/actual mileage may vary.”)

Herb T

Sounds like a crime story with a happy ending. Guaranteed the perp won’t be involved in any more criminal activity. Good riddance.

DCA

Probably not. But he will probably still vote democrat in the next election.

ras

The police took the store owners gun. That means easy pickings for the next thug that wants to rob the store.

Will Flatt

Good for the shop owner!! He reduced crime and saved the taxpayers a ton of money!!