Customer thwarts armed robbery in barbershop shootout

WIS TV ^ | 30 May 2003 | Catherine Reynolds

[aomagrat]

(Columbia SC) May 30, 2003 - Bullet holes mark the door and wall at the Who? Barbershop on Farrow Road as evidence of an attempted robbery that took place earlier in the day.

Shop co-owner Latif Al-Khatib was back on the job six hours later. He was more relaxed now that Columbia Police say they have the North Carolina men who tried to rob his business with him and at least four customers inside, "Two guys came in, pulled out guns and said 'We don't want hair cuts' and I jumped on the ground."

The robbers didn't expect a customer to stand up and take matters into his own hands.

Lance Martin was in the shop, "The customer, I'd never seen him before. He just started shooting at them, and they ran out the door."

Martin cannot identify the customer, but he was sitting close by when the gun was pulled on the suspects, "Pretty much he saved the day. If it wasn't for him, I don't know what would happen."

Al-Khatib was also thankful for the customer's action, "We probably be in here trapped, tied up, kidnapped, dead or something."

A sign at the shop bans certain activity and now Al-Khatib plans to add guns to the list, "If you come in here with a gun you will be prosecuted and we're going to try to get you locked for a long time."

Police say after the shooting the robbers drove to Richland Memorial Hospital. One of the suspects, Moddie Thompson, 29, is still in the hospital with a gunshot wound. Another was apparently shot in the upper body. Quincy Green, 21, and Kenyada Jaqu, 27, are being held in the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. All three men face charges of attempted armed robbery.

[aomagrat]

A sign at the shop bans certain activity and now Al-Khatib plans to add guns to the list, "If you come in here with a gun you will be prosecuted and we're going to try to get you locked for a long time."

What an effin idiot. A customer with gun saves his stupid life, and now the fool is going to ban guns in his shop. Armed robbers get in line! It's now safe to rob him. His shop is now gun free!

[Just another Joe]

My thoughts exactly.
Like a no guns sign is going to keep out the criminals.

[Just another Joe]

BANG!

[DakotaGator]

A sign at the shop bans certain activity and now Al-Khatib plans to add guns to the list, "If you come in here with a gun you will be prosecuted and we're going to try to get you locked for a long time."

What an ultra maroon! He's going to ban the one action that saved his sorry butt.

Oh. I'm sorry. How silly of me. All criminals obey signs! [/sarcasm]

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

I think he means if you come in with a gun to rob the place.

[4mycountry]

[DanGalt]

I agree. In SC alot of vendors post signs saying "No Weapons" and leave it at that.

This verbage does not meet the State Standard to prevent folks with CCWP from carrying in the establishment.

In SC you must have the little sign with the pistol and red circle with the slash through it posted.

[flutters]

To darn bad the customer didn't shoot the robbers until they died. Just last week the barber shop beside my business was robbed and the barber is still in a hospital bed, on a respirator, with 5 gun shots wounds. I doubt the barber will ever return to our neighborhood even if he recovers.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Some people are too stupid to live free.

[AlaskaErik]

I agree. In SC alot of vendors post signs saying "No Weapons" and leave it at that.

The only private business in Alaska that I've seen with a "No Weapons" sign is the FedEx building. Any small business tries somethat stupid here and they might as well plan on going out of business.

[kAcknor]

BANG! (gotta have that *)

[DakotaGator]

ROFLMAO your post #6!

[Xphantasos]

Sounds like what we're hearing from lamebrains up in MN at the moment...