PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A south Philadelphia gun shop owner shot and killed a man after he and three other men smashed glass to break their way into the store and confronted the owner early Tuesday, authorities said.
The owner told police he was staking out his store following an earlier burglary attempt and was monitoring a store security screen at Firing Line Gun Range and Gun Store when he saw a group of men using wire cutters to break through the gate and enter the store shortly after 4 a.m. Tuesday.
Police said the four men rushed up the stairs and confronted the 67-year-old owner, who fired an M-4 rifle, killing one man in his 20s who was armed with a handgun. The other three men fled. The gun shop owner was not injured. No charges have been filed so far, but authorities say the shooting remains under investigation.
The city’s mayor and police commissioner said later Tuesday they supported the rights of individuals to protect themselves and their property. But Mayor Jim Kenney said he was “deeply troubled at the ease with which another life has been taken amidst this chaos.”
Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said officials don’t endorse “vigilante justice or taking the law into one’s own hands” and encouraged people to protect themselves through “safe, nonviolent” methods if possible. But, she said, “there are very clear laws that allow us to protect ourselves and our property from harm.”
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