Posted on 03/06/2009 6:10:42 AM PST by marktwain
WAUKEGAN -- Five suspects were in custody after a shooting incident Wednesday afternoon at Schrank's Smoke 'N Gun where police said robbery was the apparent motive.
One male suspect was flown to a hospital after suffering three gunshot wounds. An employee of the gun shop was treated at an area hospital.
According to witness accounts, a subject went behind the counter at the store at 2010 Washington St., and was engaged with a store clerk in a verbal altercation that turned physical, Waukegan Police Cmdr. Wayne Walles said.
At one point, the store clerk produced a pistol and fired at the subject, striking him in the chest twice and once in the leg.
The injured male suspect was flown by Flight For Life to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge where he was in surgery late Wednesday.
The store clerk inadvertently shot himself in the hand during the struggle, police said.
Two men outside the store were taken into custody immediately after the shooting. Police Chief William Biang said they were detained because they had been inside the store with the other suspect at some point.
Police later said a total of four people, besides the male who was shot, were taken into custody in connection with the incident.
"Four other subjects who were at the scene at the time of this incident have been located and are being interviewed by police," said Walles. No identities in the case were released.
Two men who didn't want to be identified at the scene at 1:45 p.m. said they had an appointment to sell or trade some guns, but couldn't because of the police and emergency vehicle at the store.
"If we had come 15 minutes earlier, we would have been in there," one said. They were both amazed anyone would try anything in the store because employees openly carry weapons, and the manager of the store is a marksman who teaches shooting classes.
Washington Street was shut down for about an hour and nearby Waukegan High School was put on lock down.
Police told the school to put "Code White" into effect, which means everyone must stay put, said Biang, but the school issued a "Code Red" instead, used when a gunman is inside the school.
The shooting is the second by a store employee in Waukegan in less than six months. A store clerk fatally shot a 20-year-old robber who tried to flee the scene of a grocery store on Lincoln Avenue in October after the North Chicago man entered the store carrying a gun and demanding money.
In January, the clerk was cleared of any wrongdoing by a Lake County grand jury which ruled the shooting was in self defense.
**the clerk was cleared of any wrongdoing **
And I hope he was given a MEDAL as WELL
Move him up to sharpshooter.
Reminds me of that old story of the thieves who tried to rob a bar that was frequented by Police. Not the brightest decision of their day. I can’t recall if they ended up surrendering immediately or filled with bullets.
one for the list
I wish this could have been a happier ending. There's still hope I guess.
I live in waukegan... And what is amazing is most of the mayors in the area are dems, but have been backing the self defense of store owners shooting criminals.. Actually makes me a little proud that they have common sense.. Instead of other places that would prosecute the clerk. My father in law goes to that “smoke n gun” store once in awhile.
To what degree of paralyzing stupidity can we attribute the decision to try to commit armed robbery at a gun shop?
The only thing I’ve ever seen that approximates it in sheer stupidity was the video recently where one idiot jumped off a roof with another idiot on his shoulder in what appeared to be a “fireman’s carry.” The rest of the footage was of both idiots writhing and screaming on the ground in what must have been excruciating pain.
No names for the suspects?
Firing while attempting to retain possession of your weapon or using your hand to push the assailant away to get enough room to can result in that, too.
I find it hard to believe anyone would attempt to take down a gun shop. All those clerks in levi jackets and photographer vests, not to mention the open carry dudes, and still some dumbass tries to take a gun shop down.
Several years ago, a dufus walked into a local gun store, picked up a 410 off the consignment rack which was out on the display aisle, chambered a round he had carried in and fired into the ceiling to announce a stickup. It ended up with lots of confusion, the bad guy leaving empty handed and no further shots fired. Had he tried it across town at the big gun shop, he would have looked like a victim of the St. Valentines Day massacre. Those guys - to a man - pack heavy and would love an excuse!
WAUKEGAN -- It was business as usual Friday at Mike Schrank's Smoke' N Gun only days after Wednesday's attempted robbery and shooting.
Customers were browsing over merchandise and making purchases.
Employees were assisting patrons, completing sales and fielding phone calls.
"Everything is OK," an employee was overheard saying to someone who asked about the incident that left a man hospitalized and a clerk injured.
Aside from that, little was said about it.
"We do not have any statements to make right now," said another employee, who did not want to be named.
But he did say that previous reports that the clerk shot himself were not true.
"He did not shoot himself in the hand. He suffered powder burns," the man said. "He is doing fine now."
Meanwhile, police have not formally charged anyone in that incident.
Waukegan police interviewed four people who were at the scene and released them after determining they were not involved.
Investigators have yet to speak with the hospitalized man who they say is the only suspect in the case.
"We believe the motive was robbery," said police Cmdr. Wayne Walles.
That man underwent emergency surgery at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge after being shot several times by the clerk during an argument that turned into a struggle. He was shot once in the leg and twice in the chest.
That man was reported in stable but critical condition Friday at Lutheran General.
>>> To what degree of paralyzing stupidity can we attribute the decision to try to commit armed robbery at a gun shop?
Dunno, but I wish the moron had won a Darwin award. I suppose I can pray he’s fathered no children so far and infection from his surgeries sets in.
How come mind-blowingly stupid people can always find SOMEONE to have children with them?
Incidents like this show that Charley Darwin was wrong after all. Apes couldn't have evolved into humans over the last one million years, it would have taken a lot more time than that for intelligent monkeys to de-volve into guys as dumb as that bunch.
That shows those mayors to be about 1000% smarter than your Democrat governor, who IIRC vetoed two or three CCW bills that were passed by the state legislature in the last couple of years.
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