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Police: Philadelphia gun shop owner shoots, kills suspect during burglary

Posted at 11:29 AM, Jun 02, 2020
and last updated 2020-06-02 13:29:06-04

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – A gun shop owner shot and killed a man who attempted to break into his Philadelphia store early Tuesday morning, according to multiple reports.

Police tell WCAU and WPVI that the owner of Firing Line Inc. had been staying at his business to protect it from looters when he spotted three or four men trying to get shortly after 4 a.m.

The 67-year-old owner told police that the suspects broke in through a glass door and when they made it upstairs, he started firing a rifle at them, fatally striking one burglar in the head.

The deceased suspect has been identified as a man in his 20s and police say he died in the store, while the other men ran off.

An injured person later showed up at an area hospital with a gunshot wound to the shoulder. Investigators told WCAU that person could be connected to the burglary.

Police say the business owner was not hurt during the incident and he’s cooperating with their investigation.