Peoples Republic of Illinois

[tiwee]

Surveillance video confirms the clerk was attacked in his store and there was a struggle for the clerks gun. One of the four robbers was killed. The last paragraph is enough to make a saint swear. Who are these investigators? Surely the paper got this part of the story wrong.


Store clerk shoots, kills would-be robber - STLtoday.com

By Carolyn Tuft and Kim Bell
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
11/19/2009

EAST ST. LOUIS -- A robbery attempt turned deadly early today when a store clerk shot one robber in the chest, police say.

Illinois State Police Lt. James Morrisey said the shooting happened just after 3 a.m. Thursday at Quality Market, at 10th Street and Bond Avenue.

The dead man is a 26-year-old resident of the Metro East area. His name has not yet been released.

Four men entered the store after forcing their way in through a locked front door.

The store is open 24 hours, but customers have to stay outside after 11 p.m. and business is conducted through a small window.

Somehow, the men were able to force open the locked door. The lock may have been weakened after being damaged in a break-in a few weeks ago, Morrisey said.

The clerk, a 21-year-old, had a pistol for his protection.

"The robbers wrestled with the clerk over the gun, the gun discharged during the struggle and struck one of the bandits in the chest," Morrisey said.

A surveillance video confirms the clerk's account, Morrisey said.

The other robbers ran off, taking their wounded friend with them. The wounded man ended up at Kenneth Hall hospital, where he died a short time later.

Two men who brought him to the hospital were arrested. Police are looking for more suspects.

Morrisey said investigators aren't yet sure if the men they arrested are the ones who helped rob the store.

"We are still in process of the investigation," Morrisey said. "When get all of it together, we will present it to the St. Clair County prosecutors to determine what charges are warranted."

Under Illinois law, the accomplices in the robbery attempt could be charged with their friend's murder.

One thing investigators are looking at is whether the clerk was allowed to have a gun at that store. Police believe the clerk's family owns the store.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[beaker]

Under Illinois law, the accomplices in the robbery attempt could be charged with their friend's murder.

good. i don't know how it is in other states but that's how it should be in EVERY state.

[jumpwing]

"We're glad you survived. Oh and your arraignment for gun possession is Monday at 11am."

[searcher 45]

Four thugs sounds like community organizing, I wonder if they all are ACORN workers.

So in Illinois you can not have a handgun in or at your business for protection with out the law coming down on you.

What ever happened to the 2A in the state that the grate community organizer came from?

[retsupt99]

Those in IL deserve all that they voted for...if we don't wake up and get to the voting booths, we may all have the same.

[beaker]

What ever happened to the 2A in the state that the grate community organizer came from?

i do believe you have to apply to own a gun. even for a business.

[Torrid]

i do believe you have to apply to own a gun. even for a business.

Yep, you need a FOID card just to buy one. My dad had to get a FOID card just to buy a .17HMR rifle.

[JoJoGunn]

Illinois sounds a bit crazy. Like the stories we read about Great Britian. Can't have firearms or basically anything to fend off the criminals. How dare we law abiding citizens take our personal safety into our own hands? We just aren't capable of it you know. (I'm nearly spewing into the trash can as I write this.)

My wife is from Illinois originally. I rescued her from them, brought her to West Virginia and now she has a carry permit and Ruger LCP. One of her sons is living in Henderson Co. KY and is applying for his permit along with the father of his girlfriend there. Unfortunately, the older step-son is still trapped in the Land of Lincoln and has to abide by their Draconian firearm laws.

[tiwee]

The paper edited their story without annotating the edit. They removed the sentence that caught everyone's eye.

One thing investigators are looking at is whether the clerk was allowed to have a gun at that store.

[chrise2004]

I'm about 99% positive if your the store owner/business owner you are allowed to have a gun in the store under your possession. Most business owner's in my area all have loaded firearms in the store or carry them on their person when at the store.

(720 ILCS 5/24-1) (from Ch. 38, par. 24-1)
Sec. 24-1. Unlawful Use of Weapons.
(a) A person commits the offense of unlawful use of weapons when he knowingly:
****
(4) Carries or possesses in any vehicle or concealed on or about his person except when on his land or in his own abode or fixed place of business any pistol, revolver, stun gun or taser or other firearm, except that this subsection (a) (4) does not apply to or affect transportation of weapons that meet one of the following conditions:

it's sad when someone tries to rob you and you can't even defend yourself....arrrrrgggghhhhh stupid Illanoy!

(don't worry i'm working on moving )

[tiwee]

Clerk shot robber but prosecutors charge accomplice with murder - STLtoday.com

St. Clair County State's Attorney Robert Haida, whose office filed the charge, said in a prepared statement: "I commend the shop clerk for what is clearly a legal act of self-defense." He added, "This type of defensive action is allowed by law-abiding citizens when violent, unlawful acts are perpetrated against them."

Good for Clair County State's Attorney Robert Haida. Looks like he gets it.

[miklcolt45]

I notice it is geographically almost as far away from Cook County as you can get.

Politically, too?

[tiwee]

I notice it is geographically almost as far away from Cook County as you can get.

Politically, too?

Apparently so. Shame they have to live in a state that has Chicago to keep everybody else from their rights.