Robbing a gun store seems like poor judgment, but a group of men decided to do just that early this month, setting their sights on Mike’s Gun Room in Richardson.
During the raid of the store, in which two men were armed, things didn’t quite go to plan. Though most of the group was able to escape, one man didn’t – and the story behind his capture is like nothing you’ve heard before.
77-year-old Mike Brown, a Marine and Vietnam veteran, runs Mike’s Gun Room alone. He said that the men looked like any other group of shoppers to begin with, but soon made it clear that their real mission was robbery.
The customers didn’t appear to know much about guns at all. It was only a few moments later that the men robbed Mike at gunpoint.
Because of the COVID rules regarding wearing masks in public places, it wasn’t out of the ordinary to Mike that the group of men had on their own masks.
But this would play to their advantage, because their facial features were partially obscured, and they were able to conceal their identities as they carried out the robbery.
Mike recalled that the men ordered him to get down on the floor while they raided the store. In all of his 26 years owning a gun store, he said, he’d played such a scenario out in his head – but it had never happened until now.
The men held guns to the back of Mike’s head while they stole at least 50 weapons. But Mike wasn’t just going to lie there and let the robbery happen. He had a plan to reach his own gun, and it involved a bit of acting.
Repeating to Fox 4 what he said to the robbers, he said:
“I’ve got a heart condition and I need to get to my pills.”
Mike’s acting worked, and he was able to get to his gun – but by this point, the men were starting to leave.
Pointing his gun at the last person in the store, he yelled for the man to stop. Mike recalled:
“When he turned around, I saw he had a handgun in his hand.”
Mike didn’t think: he shot the man in the shoulder. While his accomplices drove off, the man was left lying on the floor at the store’s entrance.
Police arrived on the scene moments later to arrest the man. He’s now in custody at hospital, where he’s receiving treatment for his shoulder, and probably his damaged pride.
The ATF police are concerned that Mike may have been targeted, and they know the importance of locating the stolen guns.
Police officer Sarah Abel said:
“They are known to end up in hands of those who might commit violent crime.”
Richardson police are still on the hunt for at least three other men who were involved in the incident.
As for Mike, he’s still getting over the incident, especially as he’d had to use his gun against another person. He said:
“I’m sorry I had to shoot somebody, but better than plan B.”
Plan B, according to Mike, was being shot himself. He only had one message to the men who robbed his store:
“Don’t come back. I’ve got more ammo.”
You can learn more about this story and watch an interview with Mike in the video below.
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