Norco Market & Liquor attempted robbery: California convenience owner shoots would be robber arm off and hailed a hero. 4 men arrested after getaway car found loaded with stolen weapons
Video has emerged (see below) of a an elderly convenience store owner in California readying himself and shooting at a would-be robber, leading to the man running out of the store, screaming his arm was ‘shot off.’
Video surveillance from Norco Market & Liquor at the 2800 block of Clark Avenue in Norco, Calif., showed a masked assailant entering the business at about 2:47 a.m. with an AR-15-style rifle pointed at the 80-year-old store owner.
The suspect yelled, ‘Freeze, hands in the air,’ but within seconds, the quick-thinking store owner pulled out his own rifle from under the counter and immediately shot once at the robber, hitting him in the arm.
Video footage further showed another man getting out of a black BMW SUV, only to return inside the vehicle (do you suppose…?) upon seeing the first suspect run out of the store repeatedly screaming, ‘He shot my arm off!’
Riverside County Sheriff’s officials arrested three suspects— Justin Johnson, 22, of Inglewood, Calif., Jamar Williams, 27, of Los Angeles, and Davon Broadus, of Las Vegas, Nevada— at a local hospital.
Parked in the handicap space!
USA, California (July 31)
The owner of Norco Market & Liquor didn’t hesitate to open fire on a male suspect who walked into the store armed with a rifle.That guy was freaking over getting shot in the arm…
Poetic Justice. pic.twitter.com/gxnLHCvbPl— MakeRussiaGreatAgain🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺 (@synthia_henley) August 1, 2022
Sheriffs Office say store owner response was justified
The primary suspect, a 23-year-old man, remained in critical but stable condition at the hospital, officials said. His identity is being withheld pending his release from the hospital.
‘In this case, a lawfully armed member of our community prevented a violent crime and ensured their own safety, while being confronted with multiple armed suspects,’ Riverside County Sheriff’s said in a press release. ‘This investigation is active and ongoing and no additional information will currently be released.’
Employees at Norco Market & Liquor said the owner was watching the store cameras as the SUV pulled into the parking lot. Once he saw the first assailant get out of the SUV and pull a mask over his face, the owner immediately went for his rifle.
‘He just prepared himself … and he stood right here, aimed and shot,’ store manager Marnia Tapia told Fox11.
Wrote one commentator on social media: ‘Stolen Car, Stolen Firearms. Most restrictive gun laws in the Nation. What worked?? The 2nd Amendment.’
While another wrote: ‘I love stories like this with a happy ending. It’s just too bad the perp wasn’t killed. God Bless that store owner.’
Employees said the owner was not at the store on Monday, but Fox11 reported the man suffered a heart attack right after the shooting. He is expected to recover and will be discharged from the hospital sometime Monday night.
Social media celebrates
Workers and customers (along with the internet) have since praising the business owner, going by the first name of Craig, for his quick action.
‘What if he wouldn’t have been as quick as it was. It could’ve been him,’ customer Julie Fensel told Eyewitness News.
Sheriff’s officials said the SUV used in the attempted robbery was stolen and numerous stolen firearms also were found inside the vehicle.
Johnson, Williams and Broadus were booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside for robbery and conspiracy. They are being held in jail in lieu of $500,000 bail.
The primary suspect also will be booked at the facility once he is released from the hospital, officials said.
