Livermore Police: Gun store owner shoots, kills attempted robber
LIVERMORE – A man suspected in the attempted robbery of a gun store in Livermore over the weekend was shot and killed by the store's owner, police said.
At around 2:30 p.m. Sunday, officers were called to East Bay Firearms on the 4000 block of First Street in Livermore on reports of a robbery.
When officers arrived, they found a 28-year-old Redwood City man suffering from a gunshot wound. Police and paramedics performed life-saving measures, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The man's name has not been released pending notification of next of kin.
A preliminary investigation determined that the man had entered the store "acting suspicious" and was wearing a mask, hooded sweatshirt pulled over his head and gloves. Witnesses told police that the man attempted to rob the store by taking a firearm while armed with a hammer.
Officers said the gun store owner then fired two rounds at the man, fatally wounding him.
Police said Monday that the owner is cooperating with the investigation and is not a suspect at this time.
"At this stage in the investigation, it appears that this was a case of self-defense," Livermore PD said in a statement.
KPIX talked to a lawyer who provided some insight on the shooting and said what could add to a self-defense argument is that the attempted robbery occurred in a gun story.
"What makes this issue confusing is it's a gun store. So, if you owned a watch shop and someone came in to steal a watch with a hammer, well then all they have is a hammer. And the watches are not weapons, but here, this person could be arming themselves even further," Brass said. "He's in his own shop, he has every right to protect himself from being murdered. And if a person comes in and accesses firearms, anyone working in that store — anyone in that store — has a right to protect themselves from being shot."
According to officers, five customers who were inside the store at the time of the incident were not injured.
Anyone with additional information about the incident is asked to call the department's anonymous tip line at 925-371-4790.
