Robbery of Orlando gun store results in shots fired

divemedic · July 11, 2008, 07:52 PM

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- An Orange County gun shop clerk stunned five men trying to steal guns right in front of him when he opened fire on them early Wednesday night. A surveillance camera captured the entire incident.

In spite of the gunfire, one of the five thieves got away after the theft at Rieg's Gun Shop on Orange Blossom Trail (see map). He was last seen running south on OBT. Detectives at the sheriff's office said they have several leads and they believe they know his identity.

Surveillance video from the gun shop and range shows the robbers putting their hands up in the air as the store clerk starts shooting at the suspects.

According to deputies, five men entered the gun shop and started to look at the guns in the case. One person reached over and grabbed a .45-caliber gun and a second person grabbed another gun. When the employee saw what was happening, he pulled out his own gun and started firing shots at the five suspects.

"The employee noticed something was happening and he felt threatened because one had a gun in his hand. The employee then shot at the one suspect that had the gun," said Cmdr. Rick Luckey of the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

The bullets ended up out in the street, but no one was injured. Four of the suspects stayed inside the store, because they were too scared to leave. Deputies said the fifth robber took off with a stolen gun and investigators have been unable to find him.

No charges were filed against the store clerk.

video here

Why in the world would you rob a gun store? Wouldn't you expect to get shot at?

CGSteve8718 · July 11, 2008, 09:04 PM

They were amateurs. I've seen a video where the robbers came in by storm, caught the employees totally offguard, and made out with numerous guns.

The vids on Liveleak somewhere, I'll post it if I find it.

Other than that one incident that I know of, a gunstore is probably not the best place for a robber.

Still, I think gun shops should always be manned by at least 3 people, always armed. I'm always worried about my dealer because they are a bunch of friendly old guys that could probably be taken advantage of.

I hate being in there chatting with them when the thug types walk in.

allenomics · July 12, 2008, 09:12 AM

That shop is in a bad section of town. Hopefully, it will deter others from even thinking about stealing.

divemedic · July 12, 2008, 09:42 AM

When I got divorced, the only place I could afford to rent was an apartment on Rio Grande just south of Americana. For those of you not in the know, that is two blocks west of the gun store in this story, which is located on Orange Blossom Trail.

That is not the worst neighborhood in the Orlando area, but it is still pretty bad. There is a restaurant in Orlando called "Steak Out" that delivers steak dinners to your home. I ordered a meal from them just after they opened for business and the driver got mugged on my porch as soon as I shut the door.

He knocked on the door as soon as the miscreants left, and told me he had been robbed. You should have seen the look on his face when I drew my weapon and stuck my head out the door to look to see if they were gone.

Steak Out will not deliver into that neighborhood any more.

Ditto_95 · July 12, 2008, 09:58 AM

I was in this store when my family went down to Disney.
Seemed like a nice place. There were a couple of guys behind the counter and one person shooting on the range.

I can't imagine anyone give real thought about robbing a gun store. If they did, they would realize how dangerous it would be.

allenomics · July 13, 2008, 08:47 PM

Ditto_95, you're right. Of all the palces to rob; a gun store! The assailants must have been high or stupid or both.

jneilson · July 13, 2008, 09:08 PM

My absolute favorite robbery story;

Gun store robbery

The following mind-boggling attempt at a crime spree appeared to be the robber's first, due to his lack of a previous record of violence, and his terminally stupid choices:

1. His target was H&J Leather & Firearms. A gun shop.

2. The shop was full of customers - firearms customers.

3. To enter the shop, the robber had to step around a marked police patrol car parked at the front door.

4. A uniformed officer was standing at the counter, having coffee before work.

Upon seeing the officer, the would-be robber announced a holdup, and fired a few wild shots. The officer and a clerk promptly returned fire, covered by several customers who also drew their guns, thereby removing the confused criminal from the gene pool.

No one else was hurt.

CraigC · July 14, 2008, 02:42 PM

That shop is in a rough area. The guys working there would have to be expecting such a stupid move. Unfortunately stupidity is an ailment that should be fatal far more than it is.

A/C Guy · July 16, 2008, 05:25 PM

The scariest part of the story is the gun shop employee firing several shots at close range and completely missing the suspects.

I think he needs more range time if he is allowed to carry while working.

divemedic · July 16, 2008, 06:01 PM

When you got in your gunfight, how many of the bad guys did you hit?

hogdogs · July 16, 2008, 09:19 PM

Here is a fine example of where not to rob...
http://www.snopes.com/crime/dumdum/gunshop.asp
While it is worthy of a chuckle I am appalled that these places that sell lethal devices are not required to have a warning label present...
(sarcasm intentional...)
Brent

HoraceHogsnort · July 16, 2008, 11:27 PM

WARNING: Getting shot may lead to permanent disability!!

the_pragmaticist · July 17, 2008, 09:37 AM

If you read the Snopes article, it states that the robber did not have a .22 target pistol, but actually a ".38 caliber semiautomatic pistol". Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't .38 a rimmed cartridge suitable only for revolvers (as opposed to .380ACP or 9mm)? Can you actually find a .38 autoloader?

carguychris · July 17, 2008, 11:01 AM

Quote:

If you read the Snopes article, it states that the robber did not have a .22 target pistol, but actually a ".38 caliber semiautomatic pistol". Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't .38 a rimmed cartridge suitable only for revolvers (as opposed to .380ACP or 9mm)? Can you actually find a .38 autoloader?

Most likely .38 Super.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.38_Super

It could also be a S&W Model 52, which is a Bullseye target competition version of the Model 39 chambered for .38Spl flush-seated wadcutters (yes, you read that right!) with a 5-round magazine. However, IMHO it's highly unlikely that this peculiar and rare collector's item wound up in the hands of a punk stupid enough to try this stunt.

**Mike Irwin** · July 17, 2008, 12:11 PM

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't .38 a rimmed cartridge suitable only for revolvers (as opposed to .380ACP or 9mm)? Can you actually find a .38 autoloader?"

Well, sort of.

.38 caliber is a generic description. One could make the case that a 9mm semi-auto is a ".38 caliber semi-auto" especially if the person giving the information to the press doesn't know that much about guns.

I'd say it's more a case of the inherent inaccuracy of cartridge nomenclature.

Of course, had he said ".38 caliber semi-automatic revolver" (I actually saw that once in a newpaper article), I'd say that either the cops or press or both don't know what they're talking about, or the robber has one hell of a rare gun (.38 Webley Fosberry).

ZippZ · July 18, 2008, 03:39 AM

Reminds me of a story my college professor told me, former FBI agent.

A long time ago in DC, a couple of thugs case a bank they want to rob. They decide to rob the bank, which is located near the FBI Headquarters, one day, it happens to be FBI payday.

They go into the bank and don't notice that everyone in there is in a suit and tie. They hand the teller a holdup note, teller reads it, points to the criminals, then the whole place opens up a can of whoopass on the two.

July 11, 2008, 07:52 PM	#1
divemedic Senior Member Join Date: August 12, 2006 Posts: 1,310	Robbery of Orlando gun store results in shots fired ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- An Orange County gun shop clerk stunned five men trying to steal guns right in front of him when he opened fire on them early Wednesday night. A surveillance camera captured the entire incident. In spite of the gunfire, one of the five thieves got away after the theft at Rieg's Gun Shop on Orange Blossom Trail (see map). He was last seen running south on OBT. Detectives at the sheriff's office said they have several leads and they believe they know his identity. Surveillance video from the gun shop and range shows the robbers putting their hands up in the air as the store clerk starts shooting at the suspects. According to deputies, five men entered the gun shop and started to look at the guns in the case. One person reached over and grabbed a .45-caliber gun and a second person grabbed another gun. When the employee saw what was happening, he pulled out his own gun and started firing shots at the five suspects. "The employee noticed something was happening and he felt threatened because one had a gun in his hand. The employee then shot at the one suspect that had the gun," said Cmdr. Rick Luckey of the Orange County Sheriff's Office. The bullets ended up out in the street, but no one was injured. Four of the suspects stayed inside the store, because they were too scared to leave. Deputies said the fifth robber took off with a stolen gun and investigators have been unable to find him. No charges were filed against the store clerk. video here Why in the world would you rob a gun store? Wouldn't you expect to get shot at? __________________ Caveat Emperor

July 11, 2008, 09:04 PM	#2
CGSteve8718 Senior Member Join Date: May 14, 2007 Posts: 798	They were amateurs. I've seen a video where the robbers came in by storm, caught the employees totally offguard, and made out with numerous guns. The vids on Liveleak somewhere, I'll post it if I find it. Other than that one incident that I know of, a gunstore is probably not the best place for a robber. Still, I think gun shops should always be manned by at least 3 people, always armed. I'm always worried about my dealer because they are a bunch of friendly old guys that could probably be taken advantage of. I hate being in there chatting with them when the thug types walk in. __________________ "You are fighting for what you can never obtain, and we defending what we mean never to part with." Thomas Paine

July 12, 2008, 09:12 AM	#3
allenomics Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2007 Posts: 1,536	That shop is in a bad section of town. Hopefully, it will deter others from even thinking about stealing. __________________ NRA Benefactor Life Member Knowledge is not power. Applied knowledge is power!

July 12, 2008, 09:42 AM	#4
divemedic Senior Member Join Date: August 12, 2006 Posts: 1,310	When I got divorced, the only place I could afford to rent was an apartment on Rio Grande just south of Americana. For those of you not in the know, that is two blocks west of the gun store in this story, which is located on Orange Blossom Trail. That is not the worst neighborhood in the Orlando area, but it is still pretty bad. There is a restaurant in Orlando called "Steak Out" that delivers steak dinners to your home. I ordered a meal from them just after they opened for business and the driver got mugged on my porch as soon as I shut the door. He knocked on the door as soon as the miscreants left, and told me he had been robbed. You should have seen the look on his face when I drew my weapon and stuck my head out the door to look to see if they were gone. Steak Out will not deliver into that neighborhood any more. __________________ Caveat Emperor

July 12, 2008, 09:58 AM	#5
Ditto_95 Senior Member Join Date: June 9, 2007 Location: Central Kentucky Posts: 154	I was in this store when my family went down to Disney. Seemed like a nice place. There were a couple of guys behind the counter and one person shooting on the range. I can't imagine anyone give real thought about robbing a gun store. If they did, they would realize how dangerous it would be. __________________ Finem Respice Consider the end Principils Obsta Resist the beginings

July 13, 2008, 08:47 PM	#6
allenomics Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2007 Posts: 1,536	Ditto_95, you're right. Of all the palces to rob; a gun store! The assailants must have been high or stupid or both. __________________ NRA Benefactor Life Member Knowledge is not power. Applied knowledge is power!

July 13, 2008, 09:08 PM	#7
jneilson Member Join Date: February 23, 2008 Posts: 55	My absolute favorite robbery story; Gun store robbery The following mind-boggling attempt at a crime spree appeared to be the robber's first, due to his lack of a previous record of violence, and his terminally stupid choices: 1. His target was H&J Leather & Firearms. A gun shop. 2. The shop was full of customers - firearms customers. 3. To enter the shop, the robber had to step around a marked police patrol car parked at the front door. 4. A uniformed officer was standing at the counter, having coffee before work. Upon seeing the officer, the would-be robber announced a holdup, and fired a few wild shots. The officer and a clerk promptly returned fire, covered by several customers who also drew their guns, thereby removing the confused criminal from the gene pool. No one else was hurt.

July 14, 2008, 02:42 PM	#8
CraigC Junior member Join Date: November 28, 2001 Location: West Tennessee Posts: 4,300	That shop is in a rough area. The guys working there would have to be expecting such a stupid move. Unfortunately stupidity is an ailment that should be fatal far more than it is.

July 16, 2008, 05:25 PM	#9
A/C Guy Senior Member Join Date: January 23, 2007 Location: Apache Junction, Az Posts: 308	The scariest part of the story is the gun shop employee firing several shots at close range and completely missing the suspects. I think he needs more range time if he is allowed to carry while working.

July 16, 2008, 06:01 PM	#10
divemedic Senior Member Join Date: August 12, 2006 Posts: 1,310	When you got in your gunfight, how many of the bad guys did you hit? __________________ Caveat Emperor

July 16, 2008, 09:19 PM	#11
hogdogs Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 31, 2007 Location: Western Florida panhandle Posts: 11,069	Here is a fine example of where not to rob... http://www.snopes.com/crime/dumdum/gunshop.asp While it is worthy of a chuckle I am appalled that these places that sell lethal devices are not required to have a warning label present... (sarcasm intentional...) Brent

July 16, 2008, 11:27 PM	#12
HoraceHogsnort Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2008 Location: Stanislaus Co., Mexifornia Posts: 615	WARNING: Getting shot may lead to permanent disability!!

July 17, 2008, 09:37 AM	#13
the_pragmaticist Senior Member Join Date: April 29, 2008 Posts: 201	If you read the Snopes article, it states that the robber did not have a .22 target pistol, but actually a ".38 caliber semiautomatic pistol". Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't .38 a rimmed cartridge suitable only for revolvers (as opposed to .380ACP or 9mm)? Can you actually find a .38 autoloader?

July 17, 2008, 12:11 PM	#15
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,389	"Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't .38 a rimmed cartridge suitable only for revolvers (as opposed to .380ACP or 9mm)? Can you actually find a .38 autoloader?" Well, sort of. .38 caliber is a generic description. One could make the case that a 9mm semi-auto is a ".38 caliber semi-auto" especially if the person giving the information to the press doesn't know that much about guns. I'd say it's more a case of the inherent inaccuracy of cartridge nomenclature. Of course, had he said ".38 caliber semi-automatic revolver" (I actually saw that once in a newpaper article), I'd say that either the cops or press or both don't know what they're talking about, or the robber has one hell of a rare gun (.38 Webley Fosberry). __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

July 18, 2008, 03:39 AM	#16
ZippZ Member Join Date: November 28, 2005 Posts: 20	Reminds me of a story my college professor told me, former FBI agent. A long time ago in DC, a couple of thugs case a bank they want to rob. They decide to rob the bank, which is located near the FBI Headquarters, one day, it happens to be FBI payday. They go into the bank and don't notice that everyone in there is in a suit and tie. They hand the teller a holdup note, teller reads it, points to the criminals, then the whole place opens up a can of whoopass on the two.