My brother is the owner of a pawn shop. He related this story to me today. The sequence of events was put together after the fact.
Three men came in the pawn shop. One came to the counter. One came about halfway between the door and the counter. One stayed just inside the door. About that time, a customer handed a pump shotgun he wanted to trade to the "gun guy" behind the counter at the gun section in the back of the store. The gun salesman racked the slide on the pump to check to make sure it was empty. The three men gathered at the door, hesitated a few seconds, and quickly left. The phone rang. "This is 9-1-1, is your store being robbed? We have a report of an armed robbery in progress." The gun salesman had answered the phone, said "No, I don't think so." The 911 operator told him to hold on, that police were on the way. Almost immediately, they heard the sirens and a couple of cars pulled up, officers ran in the store with guns drawn. The thugs, of course, were gone. They were picked up later in the area and were held on some outstanding warrants.
What had happened was that a clerk in a convenience store across the street had overheard the thugs discussing their intent to rob the pawn shop. When he/she saw them cross the street to the shop, he/she called 911. It was, according to the gun salesman, just pure dumb luck that he racked the slide on the pump just as they were setting up for the robbery. Apparently, they heard the action work, looked up and saw the salesperson with the shotgun in his hands, and decided to hunt an easier target. No one who worked in the store had any suspicions about what was happening until they got the call from the police. The gun salesman said he saw the men hurriedly leave the store, but didn't think anything about it until the police explained what had happened.
Incidentally, the convenience store across the street was the scene of an attempted armed robbery about a year ago. An armed customer shot one of the robbers who turned toward him with a handgun he had been pointing at the cashier. Even though the customer didn't have a carry permit, he wasn't charged. Police were quoted in the paper as saying it was definitely a good shoot, and chose not to bring any charges.
Three men came in the pawn shop. One came to the counter. One came about halfway between the door and the counter. One stayed just inside the door. About that time, a customer handed a pump shotgun he wanted to trade to the "gun guy" behind the counter at the gun section in the back of the store. The gun salesman racked the slide on the pump to check to make sure it was empty. The three men gathered at the door, hesitated a few seconds, and quickly left. The phone rang. "This is 9-1-1, is your store being robbed? We have a report of an armed robbery in progress." The gun salesman had answered the phone, said "No, I don't think so." The 911 operator told him to hold on, that police were on the way. Almost immediately, they heard the sirens and a couple of cars pulled up, officers ran in the store with guns drawn. The thugs, of course, were gone. They were picked up later in the area and were held on some outstanding warrants.
What had happened was that a clerk in a convenience store across the street had overheard the thugs discussing their intent to rob the pawn shop. When he/she saw them cross the street to the shop, he/she called 911. It was, according to the gun salesman, just pure dumb luck that he racked the slide on the pump just as they were setting up for the robbery. Apparently, they heard the action work, looked up and saw the salesperson with the shotgun in his hands, and decided to hunt an easier target. No one who worked in the store had any suspicions about what was happening until they got the call from the police. The gun salesman said he saw the men hurriedly leave the store, but didn't think anything about it until the police explained what had happened.
Incidentally, the convenience store across the street was the scene of an attempted armed robbery about a year ago. An armed customer shot one of the robbers who turned toward him with a handgun he had been pointing at the cashier. Even though the customer didn't have a carry permit, he wasn't charged. Police were quoted in the paper as saying it was definitely a good shoot, and chose not to bring any charges.
At that time I only live 2 miles away so off I go. Told her to stand near the front door and let me in when I got there. I went straight through the house to my dads gun cabinet. Grabbed the 870 and stuffed her full. By the time I got to the back of the house, the guy had broken the storm door open and was trying to pry open the back door. All I had to do was "Rack the 870" and he slammed the storm door and was heading across the corn field out back as fast as a rabbit. 
