Alleged robber shot to death during pawn shop hold-up

A 31-year-old man was fatally shot Thursday by a Glendale pawn shop employee during an apparent robbery attempt. The alleged robber was on parole.

A caller from the pawn shop called 9-1-1 late Thursday morning to report the incident. Deputies from the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office found a man dead inside the Top Colorado Pawn Shop at 8030 E. Mississippi Avenue.

Based on preliminary evidence, the man who died was trying to rob the store, according to an ACSO spokesman.

"He just went straight to the sales people, pointed the gun, (and said) 'Open the jewelry case,'" recounted Stanislav "Stan" Anisov, the co-owner and manager of the business. 

Store had just opened six minutes earlier.

 "He came in with the gun all ready, three seconds and he had it out, pointed it at one sales person, then pointed it at another sales person," Anisov said. "The scary part is, he had no mask. Who knows, he might want to kill everybody."

Anisov said the pawn shop's jeweler, a 45-year-old man, was on the other end of the store when the robbery began. He approached the robber from behind and shot him. 

The jeweler took Friday off.

"He said he needs a few days. He's a good guy. It's hard for him," Anisov said. "Even if it's a bad guy, it's a live person. It's hard for him to think about. Especially today. Yesterday he was better. I hope he will recover. He has a good family and good support."  

Daniel Bright was identified Friday by the Arapahoe County Coroner's Office as the deceased. 

Bright's criminal history includes a 10-year prison sentence in 2014 for a robbery committed in Denver. Precisely when he was paroled isn't indicated in online records, but Bright was arrested by Aurora PD a week before Christmas last year. In February, he was sentenced to two months in jail after pleaded guilty to aggravated auto theft. He was returned to the Colorado Department of Corrections a month into that sentence. 

Anisov now plans to add a magnetically locking door and extra cameras to his business.

"All the businesses need to be careful now," he said. "Somebody tried to rob us two weeks ago. They tried to break the door at 2 a.m."  

The inventory in the shop isn't his concern; it's insured. It's his customers and employees, and himself, that he worries about.

"We just hope everybody can stay safe."