On Wednesday, a pizza shop owner in Northeast Philadelphia helped stop and capture an armed robber who tried robbing the store and shot the owner’s wife and daughter in the process.
According to a report by the local NBC News affiliate, the teenaged robber demanded money from the pizza shop. The 19-year-old then allegedly opened fire on those behind the counter, hitting the daughter of the pizza shop owner in the stomach. The 71-year-old owner then jumped into action (literally) leaping over the counter and tackling the gunman. Unfortunately, however, the robber filed another shot while being tackled. That shot hit the pizza shop owner’s wife in the stomach.
Bystanders and restaurant employees then assisted the owner in restraining the armed robber until the police arrived and dealt with him. The pizza shop will remain for a few days, the owner said, as the scene is cleaned up and his family recovers. NBC 10 Philadelphia, reporting on the incident, said:
The suspect, identified by police as 19-year-old Kaleb Bridges, entered Mayfair Pizza along the 7400 block of Frankford Avenue at 8:52 p.m. on Wednesday and demanded money while armed with a gun, according to investigators.
Police said Bridges opened fire, shooting the owner’s 34-year-old daughter in the shoulder. The owner then jumped over the counter and tackled Bridges to the ground, according to witnesses. During the struggle, Bridges fired another shot, shooting the owner’s 65-year-old wife in the stomach, police said.
Other employees and a customer then helped the owner hold Bridges down until police arrived, according to investigators.
Responding officers then arrested Bridges and recovered his weapon, police said. He is charged with aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a firearm and related offenses.
Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small praised all those who jumped into action and helped restrain the deranged gunman, stopping him from doing any more harm to law-abiding citizens. Speaking on that, Chief Inspector Small said:
“Very, very brave. Nineteen-year-old armed with a gun who just shot two employees and the owner as well as another employee and at least one other customer did intervene and were able to subdue this 19-year-old and hold onto him until police arrived. So very, very brave, and we’re very, very fortunate that our two victims are stable and nobody else was shot.”
A resident of the community who revealed himself only as “Artie” in a comment to NBC 10 Philadelphia, exploded with anger regarding the attempted robbery and shooting, saying, “If you’re gonna take money, take money. You don’t shoot anybody. And how you shoot women? And I’m gonna say it again. I would’ve grabbed one of them knives and chopped his f—–g head off!”
Sadly for the city, this incident was just the latest in a string of crimes that have turned Philadelphia into a crime-wracked cesspool. The Daily Caller, reporting on the extent of the city’s crime problem, said “Robberies and violent crime are on the rise in Philadelphia and gun-related robberies are up 60%. Last week, a 71-year-old man was injured fighting two robbers in North Philadelphia.“
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