As reported, a Columbia, South Carolina store clerk used his gun to stop a violent armed robber.
The store owner says that he was in his Broad River Rd store at about 9:30am, playing a video game with a customer when a robber entered and threatened them both with a gun. The store owner was reportedly able to get and fire his own gun during the robber, striking the robber and putting an end to the attack. A suspect was reportedly apprehended and taken to a local hospital, and will face charges that include armed robbery and attempted murder once he is released to the jail. Police are said to be seeking accomplices, and no injuries to the store owner or his customer were reported.
Once again, gun ownership is the best way to defend oneself when facing a home invasion – especially when the criminals are armed with guns. Those who are unarmed, or who are armed with an inferior weapon, will often end up overpowered by the criminal, with dire consequences. Nor can a citizen rely upon the police for protection, as they are minutes away while it takes a criminal who is breaking in just seconds to get to their victim. It is also important to note that the police will sometimes fail to help even when asked repeatedly, and they are not legally liable for that failure. Adding to the problem, police are 5.5 times more likely than an armed citizen to shoot the wrong person, meaning that there is a certain degree of danger anytime there are armed police coming to the aid of a citizen.