Anaheim, CA — Outnumbered twenty to one, an Anaheim jewelry store owner faced a fast‑moving smash‑and‑grab crew armed with sledgehammers and pickaxes. One deliberate shot into bulletproof glass was all it took to send them running.
On July 17th, just before closing time, a jewelry store owner in Anaheim, California, found himself outnumbered twenty to one.
Surveillance footage shows multiple cars pulling up outside Alhambra Jewelry. Around twenty masked suspects jump out, armed with sledgehammers and pickaxes, and rush the storefront. They immediately begin striking the glass in an attempt to force their way inside.
Inside the store, employees can be seen retreating to a back area. The footage cuts, then picks up with the owner positioned in the doorway leading from the back—handgun in hand. He knows the front windows are bulletproof. He takes a single, deliberate shot into the glass.
The bullet stops cold. But the sound and shock are enough to send all twenty suspects scrambling back to their vehicles.
After the group flees, footage shows the owner and what appears to be another armed employee re‑entering the main store area to check the situation.
The owner later told local news, “I didn’t want to hurt anybody. I just had to protect myself and my store.”
The Question of Warning Shots
We’ve covered the risks of warning shots before. Legally, they can be a minefield—prosecutors may see them as reckless discharge of a firearm. There’s also the risk of a round missing its mark or ricocheting and hitting someone you didn’t intend to. And yes, you could be burning time and ammunition you might need if the threat doesn’t back off.
But this wasn’t a round fired into the air or blindly down the street. It was a calculated shot into known bullet‑resistant glass, in a scenario where twenty armed suspects were seconds from entering. With employees already in a protected area and a significant barrier in place, the owner had good reason to believe his action wouldn’t cause unintended harm.
The Takeaway
Preparation matters. This store owner had bulletproof glass installed for exactly this type of threat. He had a plan. And when the time came, he acted decisively.
Warning shots are still a poor choice in most self‑defense situations. But layered security, situational awareness, and a calm, deliberate response can turn the odds—even when you’re outnumbered twenty to one.
