A Defensive Use of a Carbine

This mess was just clearing up when I got to work this morning.

From the Star Telegram:

By Bill Miller

2 robbers die when guard fights back

Two teens are dead following a botched robbery of a 20-year-old security guard who fought back early Thursday in southwest Dallas, police said.

The dead are Detavias Davis, 17, and Sergio Vann, 19, according to the Dallas County medical examiner's office.

The incident happened 12:30 a.m. outside a Family Dollar store on Redbird Lane, south of Dallas Executive Airport, formerly Red Bird Airport.

The guard, Dedrick Howard, was using a laptop computer in his vehicle when he was approached by three young men, said Sgt. Ray Beaudreault, a homicide detective.

They ordered him out of the vehicle, and one of the robbers, later identified as Vann, had a handgun, Beaudreault said.

Not looking good for the security guard here. Oh dark thirty and three armed goblins seem to have the tactical advantage. From the title of this post, you know it is not going to end well for the goblins. They may have the advantage...

But Howard grabbed an semiautomatic SKS carbine and opened fire, killing Vann, Beaudreault said.

Davis, Beaudreault added, tried to flee in white car, but Howard was worried the teen might also have a gun.

"So, fearing for his life, (Howard) fired again and struck the driver,'' Beaudreault said. "(Davis) drove off, but because of his injuries, he wrecked."

Davis was taken to the hospital from the crash scene on nearby U.S. 67, also called the Marvin D. Love Freeway, but he died later, Beaudreault said.

The third robber, age 17, ran from the parking lot to the wrecked car and he tried to retrieve some personal property from the white car, but police arrested him, Beaudrealt said.

The teen is expected to be charged with aggravated robbery, Beaudreault said.

This shopping center is fairly close to where I work, and this is not the first shooting to occur here. However, this may be the first defensive shooting on the property. As this was close to work, it was the water fountain subject of the day. During the day I checked several different news sources to find out if the guard was going to be charged or not. It turns out that he will be going before the Grand Jury, but will probably not be charged. There was one interesting thing I noted in all the other coverage of this incident that thankfully was absent in Mr. Miller's report.

Let us see if you can pick up on it.

From the Dallas Morning News:

Police: Security guard with assault rifle kills 2 suspected robbers

From CBS11 TV:

Dallas Robbery Gone Wrong Ends With 2 Dead

The security guard had an assault rifle and shot at the group. Two people were shot. One of them was taken to the hospital, where he later died.

From WFAA Channel 8:

Two dead in strip mall shooting

DALLAS — Dallas police said an Oak Cliff security guard armed with an assault rifle shot two suspected robbers Wednesday night in a strip mall near Executive Airport.

They just can not seem to help themselves can they?

This is why the Star Telegram is my paper of choice.