Store Manager Stops Armed Robbery at a Chicago Auto Parts Store

Some of us need supplies to fix or maintain our automobiles. All of us have been out shopping on the weekend. The customers and employees at an O’Reilly Auto Parts store never thought they would be involved in an armed robbery. The store manager at this auto parts store thought differently. He didn’t know when, but he thought his store could be robbed and his customers threatened. To be fair, the south side of Chicago is not the safest place to live. The store manager must have noticed other violent crimes happening to stores around him. Thank goodness this responsible store manager was armed on an ordinary Saturday.

It was about 2:30 in the afternoon when the store manager looked up to help the next customer in line at the checkout counter. The news report didn’t mention if the customer had any auto supplies in his hands, but the store manager noticed when the customer raised his shirt and flashed the gun tucked into the waistband of his pants. The robber told the store manager to hand over the cash.

This store manager was also a gun owner. He had his Illinois Firearms Owners Identification card in his wallet. The store manager was also armed and carrying concealed at work that day.

This is where we wish we had a video to show us what happened next. We know the store manager presented his concealed handgun. We know he shot the armed robber several times. We know the armed robber turned and ran and drew his firearm from his pants. We don’t know if the robber fired his gun.

The robber dropped his firearm on the floor mat outside the store. He collapsed next to it. The news stories seem to indicate that the store manager stopped shooting after the robber collapsed. Our armed defender stayed inside the store and called 911 for help. He also gave a statement to the police when they arrived.

Police disarmed the armed robber. Emergency medical services took him to the University of Chicago Hospital. The attacker died of his injuries at the hospital.

We’d like to know so much more about this armed defense. Given the level of crime on the south side, it would be unusual for a retail business not to have security cameras throughout the store. Fortunately, we know that none of the customers or employees in the store were injured.

Local news reports mentioned that this was the 45th time that someone with a legally owned firearm stopped a criminal in Chicago in the last three years.

This story is one of many that go under-reported by the mainstream media because it shows a positive image of a law-abiding gun owner defending their life and their family. It is our responsibility at AmmoLand to report these stories to you. While we will continue to report these stories, groups like the Crime Prevention Research Center, led by Dr. John Lott, are fastidious in studying the use of firearms for self-defense. Stay up to date with all news on self-defense by following CPRC and Ammoland.

About Rob Morse

Rob Morse writes about gun rights at Ammoland, Clash Daily, at Second Call Defense, and on his SlowFacts blog. He hosts the Self Defense Gun Stories Podcast and co-hosts the Polite Society Podcast. Rob was an NRA pistol instructor and combat handgun competitor.