Mike
Site Co-Founder
imported post
Form today's VCDL.org VA-ALERT:
--
*****************************************************************************
1. Open carrier saved lives in Richmond shooting on Saturday!
*****************************************************************************
Guns Save Lives
On Saturday, a violent criminal shot a store clerk, had the customers
in the store lined up, and while reloading his revolver told the
customers that he was going to kill them all.
Then a person open carrying a single-action Colt .45 came in and shot
the criminal in the stomach, saving at least six or seven lives.
I received a detailed account from a VCDL member who was at the scene
(but not the person with the .45). One of the things I was told is
how some of the customers were telling the police that the open-
carrier was a hero and how he saved their lives.
If that's not being a first-responder when no one else was there to
help, I don't know what is.
Here is the press coverage (and there won't be a word of any of this
on any of the national news broadcasts):
http://tinyurl.com/n2m9vq
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Two shot in South Richmond store
By Reed Williams
Published: July 12, 2009
A gunman who had wounded a shopkeeper and opened fire on several
customers was stopped yesterday when another man shot him at the store
in South Richmond, authorities said.
The violent attempted robbery took place shortly after 1 p.m. at the
Golden Food Market at 2701 Jefferson Davis Highway, the same store
where another man was shot last month -- and only three blocks from
the scene of another robbery in June that left a shopkeeper dead.
Owners of as many as a dozen Jefferson Davis-area businesses flocked
to the scene of the shooting, and many were rattled by such a brazen
daylight attack, said Councilwoman Reva Trammell, whose 8th District
includes the Jefferson Davis corridor.
Trammell, who arrived outside the store shortly after yesterday's
shootings, described a frenzied scene. One man told Trammell that the
man who had shot the robber was a guardian angel.
"Whoever did it probably saved their lives in there," Trammell said of
the shooter.
Police did not identify anyone involved in yesterday's shootings.
The man who shot the robber is a friend of the store owner, and he was
wearing a holster with a Western-style revolver, said Managing Deputy
Commonwealth's Attorney Tracy Thorne-Begland.
After the suspect shot the store owner and opened fire on patrons, the
owner's friend shot the suspect once in the torso, took his gun and
called police, Thorne-Begland said.
Thorne-Begland said it appeared that the shooting of the suspect was
justified, although he emphasized that the investigation was in the
early stages.
Police said they expect to file charges against the suspect.
The store owner's injuries did not appear life-threatening,
authorities said, but the gunman's injuries were said to be life-
threatening. No one else was hurt.
Anthony Gregory, who lives near Golden Food, said he was in the store
about 15 minutes before the shootings, and that while he was there, he
saw a man with a baby making a purchase.
Gregory said the owner told the baby, "Welcome to the world. This is a
dangerous world, so be careful. But don't worry, God will protect you."
Police Cmdr. Steve Drew said officers had been patrolling up and down
Jefferson Davis yesterday and recently have bolstered their presence
in the area. He said it was unusual for a commercial robbery to happen
so early in the day.
The previous shooting at Golden Food took place late the night of June
12. And three nights earlier, a co-owner of the Come and Go Food
Market, which is about three blocks north of Golden Food on Jefferson
Davis, was shot and killed in a robbery.
Authorities said it was too early to know whether any of the three
shootings on Jefferson Davis are connected.
A few hours after yesterday's shootings, Said "Sam" Messaf, the man
who was shot June 12 at Golden Food, was at the store to help another
man shut down the market.
Messaf described how he had been helping out at the store June 12 when
two robbers came inside. One man opened fire, reaching over the
counter and shooting as Messaf cowered behind it, he said. Messaf was
shot six times in his legs.
He said he suffered nerve damage in his left leg and has trouble
sleeping.
Trammell said residents and business owners were scared by the recent
violence but have faith that police are doing their best to stop it.
"I'm still shook up," Trammell said. "I'm not afraid, but we've worked
so hard on Jefferson Davis -- so hard in that area to bring crime down."
--
http://tinyurl.com/nvo7rp
Police charge South Richmond man in convenience store shooting
By Staff Reports
Published: July 13, 2009
Richmond police have charged a 30-year-old South Richmond man in the
aborted robbery of a convenience store that left him and the store
owner wounded.
James Grooms of the 2200 block of Chalfont Drive remains hospitalized
after being shot by a friend of the owner of Golden Food Market at
2701 Jefferson Davis Highway in South Richmond. Grooms shot the store
owner and fired at several customers, missing them, in the attempted
robbery on Saturday just after 1 p.m.
Police charged Grooms with attempted robbery, use of a firearm, and
possession of a firearm by a felon. He remains in the custody of the
Richmond Sheriff's Office while being treated for a gunshot wound to
the torso at VCU Medical Center. No information was available on his
condition.
The attempted robbery was the second time in a month that a shopkeeper
at Golden Market was shot. Said "Saim" Messaf was shot on June 12. The
store's owner, who police did not identify, suffered non-life
threatening wounds in Saturday's shooting. No information was
available today on his condition.
Form today's VCDL.org VA-ALERT:
--
*****************************************************************************
1. Open carrier saved lives in Richmond shooting on Saturday!
*****************************************************************************
Guns Save Lives
On Saturday, a violent criminal shot a store clerk, had the customers
in the store lined up, and while reloading his revolver told the
customers that he was going to kill them all.
Then a person open carrying a single-action Colt .45 came in and shot
the criminal in the stomach, saving at least six or seven lives.
I received a detailed account from a VCDL member who was at the scene
(but not the person with the .45). One of the things I was told is
how some of the customers were telling the police that the open-
carrier was a hero and how he saved their lives.
If that's not being a first-responder when no one else was there to
help, I don't know what is.
Here is the press coverage (and there won't be a word of any of this
on any of the national news broadcasts):
http://tinyurl.com/n2m9vq
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Two shot in South Richmond store
By Reed Williams
Published: July 12, 2009
A gunman who had wounded a shopkeeper and opened fire on several
customers was stopped yesterday when another man shot him at the store
in South Richmond, authorities said.
The violent attempted robbery took place shortly after 1 p.m. at the
Golden Food Market at 2701 Jefferson Davis Highway, the same store
where another man was shot last month -- and only three blocks from
the scene of another robbery in June that left a shopkeeper dead.
Owners of as many as a dozen Jefferson Davis-area businesses flocked
to the scene of the shooting, and many were rattled by such a brazen
daylight attack, said Councilwoman Reva Trammell, whose 8th District
includes the Jefferson Davis corridor.
Trammell, who arrived outside the store shortly after yesterday's
shootings, described a frenzied scene. One man told Trammell that the
man who had shot the robber was a guardian angel.
"Whoever did it probably saved their lives in there," Trammell said of
the shooter.
Police did not identify anyone involved in yesterday's shootings.
The man who shot the robber is a friend of the store owner, and he was
wearing a holster with a Western-style revolver, said Managing Deputy
Commonwealth's Attorney Tracy Thorne-Begland.
After the suspect shot the store owner and opened fire on patrons, the
owner's friend shot the suspect once in the torso, took his gun and
called police, Thorne-Begland said.
Thorne-Begland said it appeared that the shooting of the suspect was
justified, although he emphasized that the investigation was in the
early stages.
Police said they expect to file charges against the suspect.
The store owner's injuries did not appear life-threatening,
authorities said, but the gunman's injuries were said to be life-
threatening. No one else was hurt.
Anthony Gregory, who lives near Golden Food, said he was in the store
about 15 minutes before the shootings, and that while he was there, he
saw a man with a baby making a purchase.
Gregory said the owner told the baby, "Welcome to the world. This is a
dangerous world, so be careful. But don't worry, God will protect you."
Police Cmdr. Steve Drew said officers had been patrolling up and down
Jefferson Davis yesterday and recently have bolstered their presence
in the area. He said it was unusual for a commercial robbery to happen
so early in the day.
The previous shooting at Golden Food took place late the night of June
12. And three nights earlier, a co-owner of the Come and Go Food
Market, which is about three blocks north of Golden Food on Jefferson
Davis, was shot and killed in a robbery.
Authorities said it was too early to know whether any of the three
shootings on Jefferson Davis are connected.
A few hours after yesterday's shootings, Said "Sam" Messaf, the man
who was shot June 12 at Golden Food, was at the store to help another
man shut down the market.
Messaf described how he had been helping out at the store June 12 when
two robbers came inside. One man opened fire, reaching over the
counter and shooting as Messaf cowered behind it, he said. Messaf was
shot six times in his legs.
He said he suffered nerve damage in his left leg and has trouble
sleeping.
Trammell said residents and business owners were scared by the recent
violence but have faith that police are doing their best to stop it.
"I'm still shook up," Trammell said. "I'm not afraid, but we've worked
so hard on Jefferson Davis -- so hard in that area to bring crime down."
--
http://tinyurl.com/nvo7rp
Police charge South Richmond man in convenience store shooting
By Staff Reports
Published: July 13, 2009
Richmond police have charged a 30-year-old South Richmond man in the
aborted robbery of a convenience store that left him and the store
owner wounded.
James Grooms of the 2200 block of Chalfont Drive remains hospitalized
after being shot by a friend of the owner of Golden Food Market at
2701 Jefferson Davis Highway in South Richmond. Grooms shot the store
owner and fired at several customers, missing them, in the attempted
robbery on Saturday just after 1 p.m.
Police charged Grooms with attempted robbery, use of a firearm, and
possession of a firearm by a felon. He remains in the custody of the
Richmond Sheriff's Office while being treated for a gunshot wound to
the torso at VCU Medical Center. No information was available on his
condition.
The attempted robbery was the second time in a month that a shopkeeper
at Golden Market was shot. Said "Saim" Messaf was shot on June 12. The
store's owner, who police did not identify, suffered non-life
threatening wounds in Saturday's shooting. No information was
available today on his condition.
