A man stopped at a QuikTrip gas station to grab a snack and used the bathroom. Little did he know he would be witnessing a violent robbery taking place after “doing his business.”
A St. Louis man was returning from using the restroom at a St. Charles, MO, when he witnessed a black SUV come to an abrupt stop.
The customer watched Bush get out of the SUV, run into the QuikTrip carrying a backpack, and approach a clerk by the coffee pots, police said. Bush then grabbed the clerk and dragged her to the front of the store while she was screaming. The customer saw Bush inside the station holding a knife to the clerk’s throat.” via STL Today.
Witnessing this going down, the good Samaritan grabbed a 9mm handgun from his vehicle and entered the gas station. He confronted the suspect, who then returned from behind the counter, grabbed his backpack, and told the armed citizen, “I’ve got something for you.”
Well, the armed citizen had something for him and fired several shots hitting the suspect and dropping him to the ground. Neither the store clear nor the armed citizen was harmed in the incident. After the police arrived on the scene, the wounded suspect was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The police were already investigating two other gas station robberies and were able to tie both of them to the deceased suspect. He had been on a violent crime spree hitting multiple gas stations. It was reported that he held a knife to another stork clerk while demanding they empty the money from the cash register.
It is unclear if the armed citizen had a concealed carry permit. Missouri is a constitutional carry state which allows anyone legally allowed to possess a firearm to carry concealed without the need to obtain a concealed carry permit. I applaud the man for taking quick action and ending the violent crime spree.
The only thing that stands out to me is the fact that he had to get his gun from the car. I’d recommend that all concealed carriers keep their gun on their person at all times. Going to the bathroom? Take your gun with you. While it might not be ideal, depending on what you are taking care of in there, having your gun stored in the vehicle isn’t a good idea. Obviously, there’s the fact that you won’t have that tool to defend yourself should something go down in or outside the bathroom. Having it in the vehicle adds much more time to arm yourself. There’s also the fact that you shouldn’t store guns in your car. On the rare occasion that I do store a gun in my vehicle, it is locked in a potable gun safe that is secured to the vehicle to prevent it from being stolen. I’ll use this if I have to go into a location that doesn’t allow firearms, i.e., Post Office.
Stay safe out there. Stay armed and prepared.
