Another incident has surfaced in which a responsible gun owner used his firearm to defend himself. This story took place in Houston and involves a business owner who almost became the victim of a violent robbery.
The situation began when two robbers attempted to “jug” the business owner. Jugging refers to a technique used by criminals to rob people while they are withdrawing large sums of cash from a bank or ATM. Typically, the offenders surveil their targets as they make their transactions before striking.
In this case, the “juggers” attempted to rob the wrong person:
Two robbery suspects accused of following a business owner from a bank were shot and killed in the Greater East End on Wednesday morning, according to police.
Houston police were called to a shooting in progress at 11:11 a.m. at Ruiz Cash & Carry Co. at 1703 S. Sgt. Macario Garcia Drive near Avenue Q.
At the scene, they found two men dead with gunshot wounds.
The business owner told HPD he had just left the bank when he arrived at his business, parked, and was walking into the shop.
That’s when he was hit in the back of the head with an unknown object, HPD said.
After he was hit, the business owner turned around and saw two masked men wearing gloves, police said. The owner immediately discharged his firearm.
An employee inside the store heard what was happening, came outside, and also fired shots, HPD said.
“One of the employees of the business heard the commotion, came out, and saw what was taking place,” Assistant Chief Chandra Hatcher said. “The employee also began discharging a firearm.”
According to police, one man died inside the store while a second died in the parking lot. A third person took off in a newer-model, black Lincoln Navigator with license plate RTS-3919.
The business owner told law enforcement that he had returned to his establishment and was assaulted before he could enter the building. He only opened fire after turning around and seeing the would-be robbers threatening him.
“We don’t ever advocate violence or crime, but our citizens have the right to defend themselves,” Assistant Chief Hatcher said during a press conference.
This is yet another story illustrating that one never knows when one’s life could be in danger. The business owner was going about his everyday duties unaware of what he was going to face that day. Even something as simple as withdrawing money from the bank could bring peril to those who are unprepared.
Fortunately, this individual was wise enough to keep his firearm on his person. Houston’s homicide rate has declined over the past two years, but it is still an issue, as evidenced by this story. What is also noteworthy is that Texas is a Constitutional Carry state, meaning that people can carry firearms without a license. It is far easier to arm oneself in the Lone Star State than in places like Michigan and Illinois, whose governments aren’t exactly fans of people relying on themselves to protect their lives and property.
