Unlike the last defensive gun use in Chicago that we reported on, where the armed citizen arguably had the ability to avoid being shot at, the concealed carry holder who used his firearm to fend off a would-be robber early Tuesday wasn’t in a position to flee the scene, at least not without presenting his back as a target.

Chicago police say the man was simply walking down a street on the city’s north side around 4:20 Tuesday morning when two vehicles drove up and stopped in front of him. An armed suspect then popped out of one of the cars and demanded the 23-year-old hand over the contents of his pockets. Instead, the concealed carry holder drew his own firearm and fired several rounds, with the suspect shooting back before hopping back in the car and taking off with his compatriots.

No suspects have been taken into custody, but CWB Chicago reports there were several other robberies reported in the area that the crew may have been responsible for.

At 3:40 a.m., two men walked up to a 45-year-old man who was in his car in the 2100 block of West Lunt. They displayed guns and took a phone, wallet, and lunchbox from the victim at gunpoint. CPD said the crew fled in a silver SUV, possibly a Toyota RAV4.

Shortly before 4 a.m., the cars stopped in the 2000 block of West Farwell. According to initial information, a man got out of one of the vehicles, opened a woman’s car door, and snatched her purse from her hands.

Minutes later, another victim walked into the Rogers Park (24th) District police station to report that they were robbed in the 6000 block of North Clark by a group of men who traveled in multiple vehicles.

CPD said a 29-year-old man was robbed at 4:08 a.m. in the 6100 block of North Wolcott. He was sitting in his parked car when two vehicles pulled up. A couple of gunmen stepped out of the cars, took his property, and fled.

Several other holdups were also reported in the area, but details of those incidents are still coming in.

It’s unclear if any of those holdups took place after the armed citizen fought back against the man trying to rob him at gunpoint, but it sounds like the robbery crew may have had a change of heart, at least temporarily, after their encounter with a legal gun owner who was prepared to defend himself.

This is at least the third defensive gun use to be reported in Chicago in a little more than a week. As my colleague Tom Knighton reported, last Monday night another concealed carry holder fired shots at an armed robber who held up a Mexican restaurant, while a lawfully armed citizen was forced to defend himself over the weekend when he spotted his stolen car and the individuals inside fired shots as he confronted them.  The crew ended up speeding away from the scene, but totaled the stolen SUV just a short distance away.

So far, that’s the only incident of the three that has resulted in any arrests. A 23-year-old suspect who was shot by the concealed carry holder was taken to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries, while a juvenile who was in the car when it crashed was treated for minor injuries before being taken into custody. I hope that Chicago police are able to identify the suspects in these other incidents, but if nothing else these crooks have now been made aware that there could be consequences to their actions that don’t involve a plea deal and a slap on the wrist from a judge. Their intended victims might not be as helpless or defenseless as they seem, and sticking a gun in their faces could end up being the last mistake these criminals ever make.