Cell Phone Store Employee in Chicago Shoots, Kills Would-Be Robber

Authors Defensive Use of Firearms Jordan Michaels This Week
Cell Phone Store Employee in Chicago Shoots, Kills Would-Be Robber
The robber picked the wrong store to score a few cell phones. (Photo: Screenshot/Fox32)

A 29-year-old cell phone store employee in Chicago shot and killed a would-be robber on Saturday, according to police and local media. Investigators say the employee has a valid concealed carry license and firearms owner identification card (FOID), though the case is open and charges may still be filed.

Details are forthcoming, but police say the incident began at 6:50 p.m. when the suspect entered the store with a gun and demanded store products. That’s when the store employee pulled out his own firearm and fired several shots at the robber, striking him in the chest.

The suspect was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. Investigators recovered both his gun and the gun of the employee.

Police have not released the names of the suspect or the employee.

SEE ALSO: Employee Jailed After Shooting Would-Be Thief Who Broke into His Store

Local residents say attempted robberies have been on the rise in the last few months. Carl Smith lives near the T-Mobile store where the incident took place, and he told Fox 32 that he’s heard several strings of gun shots recently.

“They’ve attempted to rob a Duncan Donuts. They’ve attempted to rob a couple stores in the mall,” he said. “Desperate times call for desperate measures, and people will try anything sometimes. It’s sad. This is not an everyday thing, but every now and then it does happen.”

While burglaries and robberies in the Windy City are actually down compared to last year, Chicago’s homicide rate has skyrocketed. More than 700 homicides and 3,000 shootings have been recorded in Chicago as of December 1, a greater than 50 percent increase over last year.

The increase in homicides in Chicago and in cities around the state has driven thousands of Illinois residents to apply for concealed carry permits—and many are still waiting. State GOP lawmakers have criticized the Illinois State Police for making residents wait weeks to receive their CCL and FOID cards.

“There is no way around it. These people are experiencing lengthy and unreasonable delays, which is an infringement on their constitutional rights,” said Rep. Avery Bourne.

SEE ALSO: WATCH: Surveillance Video Proves Fired Ford Employee Acted in Self-Defense

Illinois State Police estimate that current average processing time for new FOID applications is 121 days. For new CCL applications, the average processing time is 145 days, according to local media.

Illinois is a shall-issue state, which means law enforcement has little discretion on whether an applicant who has completed all the requirements and passed a background check can receive a permit. But unlike other shall-issue states, law enforcement has the right to object to a concealed carry license being issued if they think the applicant is a danger to public safety or himself/herself.

ISP reported it received 147,862 FOID card applications from March through June, more than double the amount received in the prior four-month period. Since 2017, the agency reported a 167 percent increase in FOID card applications (166,649 in 2017 to 445,945 as of November 2020).

There are 27,248 pending applications for CCLs.

***Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica! All Local Sales are FREE!***

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • letcalhunt April 11, 2022, 10:25 am

    Definitely employee of the year.

  • Kane January 4, 2021, 8:25 pm

    Was the sticker with the black pistol and the red line running diagonally in a circle prominently displayed?

    That’s kind of important.

  • John Kacz January 4, 2021, 11:02 am

    I’ve been waiting since January of 2020 to get my Foid card renewed. The state took my money and have failed to process the application. When we call the state police they say the delay is due to COVID. I applied January 10th before all the COVID nonsense started. This delay also applies to my wife and neighbor. Because of this delay I couldn’t renew my Utah CCW.

    • Brian March 10, 2021, 2:38 pm

      Illinois has been ridiculously slow on issuing these for years. I sent in my NEW application for the CCL on January 29, 2020 and RENEWAL for my FOID on February 1, 2020. (Tried to do both at the same time but they won’t let you renew more than 3 prior to expiration). They both finally showed up in my mailbox on February 26, 2021, 13 MONTHS LATER!!! Never mind that state statute says FOID cards are to be issued within 90 days and the CCL within 120 days.

  • Mort January 4, 2021, 8:33 am

    I’ll never understand why they take the LEGALLY owned gun from the person that used it properly…
    so now he’s left defenseless until he gets it back?

    Orrrr like me, I’ll just use one of my other 25 guns I have

  • Bob Clark January 3, 2021, 2:45 pm

    “Cell Phone Store Employee in Chicago Shoots, Kills Would-Be Robber” and was promptly fired.

  • Bultaco January 1, 2021, 10:27 pm

    What the heck is a Duncan donut……? Never heard of it

    • William Mackey January 4, 2021, 7:07 am

      They are a donut franchise… Only been around for over 50 years!

      • AAron January 4, 2021, 8:50 am

        IT’s actually “Dunkin’ Donuts”

    • Kane January 4, 2021, 8:14 pm

      They probably meant Duncan yoyo’s.

  • 40X Ranger January 1, 2021, 2:07 pm

    Can we get a follow up on this? Have charges been brought against the employee? Has his side arm been returned? If a person goes through all the steps to legally defend themselves, why are they treated worse then the criminal when they defend themselves?

  • Tracey January 1, 2021, 1:38 pm

    I’m surprised Metro allows him to carry at work and he wasn’t fired for having a firearm on-site, that will be next… 😡. He should be given an award for bravery…

  • Mike Donovan January 1, 2021, 12:33 pm

    121 days to issue a FOID? Obviously the Illinois State Police are either deliberately delaying the process or the people working there are mentally retarded.

  • Leigh January 1, 2021, 12:09 pm

    Does the store allow guns at all? May get fired on a technicality for defending himself.
    It has happened before. Fired for violating company policy regarding guns on the premises.
    All over what…phones? money?

    • michael January 3, 2021, 11:21 am

      No, all over a idiot thinking he could take something that wasn’t theirs by being a armed thug. Sorry life is harsh when you have no morals. I was taught this at a early age. If it doesn’t belong to you, DON’T TOUCH IT ! I guess he was hungry looking for food ?

  • B rad January 1, 2021, 10:34 am

    The state of Illinois is criminally negligent in the wait times for issuing Foid and CCW permits. A right delayed is a right denied. I believe that they are being sued over this issue.

    • Jay January 1, 2021, 3:08 pm

      Yes, the ISRA is suing, but the suit go postponed in the courts because of the Chinese Virus.

  • Clay January 1, 2021, 10:32 am

    ” investigators recovered both his gun and the gun of the employee ”
    Thats the part of this wonderful story that pisses me off. Why do they feel the need to take the employees gun? What did he do wrong in order to be disarmed? Evidence? He shot the guy. He admits it. Probably have it on camera. It was a clean shoot so why disarm him? I guess if it goes to the grand jury it’ll give those sorry ass lawyers something to dangle in the faces of the jurors. Even if no charges are filed he can kiss that gun goodbye.

    • Gus January 1, 2021, 12:03 pm

      I agree with you 100%. The employee is completely legal and yet they say charges may be filed. Illinois makes us go through a paperwork hell to get a ccl and yet there may be charges against the employee. Where is the justice for the employee? This is typical of the stinken Lincoln state.

      God only knows what sleepy Joe Biden and his cast of political characters are going to do on gun control. Buy your weapons now and stock up on ammo!!

      Stay well and stay safe.

    • Leigh January 1, 2021, 12:10 pm

      That’s why you don’t CCW your Ed Brown or Cabot or Wilson Combat.

      • Bob January 4, 2021, 1:59 pm

        Leigh you missed the point. The fact that they took the gun in the first place is the problem. Doesn’t matter if it is his prized gun or not. After Wisconsin passed CC legislation back in 2012 the first justified use of force by a CCW holder occurred at an Aldi grocery store in Milwaukee.

        http://wisconsingunowners.org/2012/wisconsin-gun-control-alerts/wisconsins-first-ccw-self-defense-shooting/

        That shooting was ruled justifiable but that gun owner waited more than a year to get his weapon back from police. That is bullshit on the part of the police who were pissed off because that guy did what the police can never do because they aren’t present when most robberies take place.

    • Russ January 1, 2021, 2:10 pm

      He will likely get the gun back when the case is resolved. That was normal procedure in Florida. The gun is evidence.

  • Bob January 1, 2021, 10:29 am

    A 29-year-old cell phone store employee in Chicago shot and killed a would-be robber on Saturday, according to police and local media. Investigators say the employee has a valid concealed carry license and firearms owner identification card (FOID), though the case is open and charges may still be filed.

    The suspect was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. Investigators recovered both his gun and the gun of the employee.

    Charges may still be filed?? This is typical in the state of Illinois and specifically the city of Chitcago run by corrupt demoncrats for what seems like forever. And how long will it take the corrupt prosecutors in Chitcago to determine if they will charge the store employee who did the absolute right thing in defending himself and dispatching the POS criminal?? Yes I guess I understand the police taking the gun for now but how long will this guy have to wait to get his legally owned firearm back? Hopefully he has a spare or three.
    The store employee is a hero and should be rewarded for taking out the trash.

    • Kane January 4, 2021, 8:20 pm

      And if he gets his CCW back will the PO havescratched his initials on the firearm. That’s a CPD SOP.

  • John Stanton January 1, 2021, 8:19 am

    Just saw a local news report that indicated Chicago murders in 2020 went from the mid 400s in 2019 to the mid 700s! CCW is more relevant today than ever.

  • Bad Penguin January 1, 2021, 7:14 am

    Making the world a better place one shot at a time.

  • SuperG December 29, 2020, 11:54 am

    The employee should find another job quickly, as the hood-rat’s homies will be out to settle up.

    • El Norte January 1, 2021, 6:37 am

      Or to the contrary, they may keep their distance because they know the employee isn’t an easy target.

      • Leigh January 1, 2021, 12:05 pm

        They are pack animals…never one on one…never a fair fight…

      • Jay January 1, 2021, 3:07 pm

        Read the story again, the cops have the suspects gun AND the defender’s.

  • paul December 29, 2020, 10:53 am

    Well if we go by Lightfoots mantra of wait for the police, the clerk would probably be dead and the criminal would still be running around free to kill again! Got to love the lunacy heh-heh

Send this to a friend