An armed robber went into a package store in Dekalb County (GA) last night and flashed a handgun at the store’s clerk.

He was clearly not impressed.

A man in a mask and black hooded sweatshirt jumped over the counter where the clerk was seated and demanded money at gunpoint, according to an incident report obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The clerk told police he stood up and the man started firing at him.

The clerk took out a silver revolver and returned fire, according to the incident report.

The man ran out of the store. He was later found face down and unresponsive in a grassy area. He was still holding a black handgun in his left hand, according to the incident report.

The man was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital with gunshot wounds to each arm and the left upper side. He died at the hospital.

The clerk was not injured in the shooting, police said.
While officers did not release the dead man’s name, they told Channel 2 Action News he had an extensive criminal history.

This seems to be as about a clearcut case of armed self-defense as you can expect to fid anywhere. When an armed robber opens fire on someone, they quite clearly are under a lethal force attack and have every right to use deadly force in response. Fortunately, the “good guy with a gun” was clearly the better shot in this incident, and the now-deceased suspect didn’t so much as graze the clerk.

As the typical revolver carries 5-6 shots, the clerk had a hit rate of 50% or more, which is phenomenal marksmanship under fire.

It isn’t the first person who fires who wins gun fights, but is instead usually the first person to start landing effective hits. Use your sights, folks. I can all but promise you the robber didn’t, and the clerk did.