In a harrowing incident that unfolded on a Saturday night, an alleged robber met a tragic end in a firefight with an employee at George’s Famous Pizzeria, a well-known establishment in Philadelphia. The dramatic events transpired when two individuals, concealed beneath hooded sweatshirts and masks, entered the pizzeria at approximately 8 p.m.
The tension escalated rapidly as one of the attempted robbers, brandishing a handgun, tried to breach the counter, firing a round in the process. In a courageous act of self-defense, one of the pizzeria employees swiftly responded, opening fire and striking the thief multiple times.
Philadelphia
PIZZA SHOP EMPLOYEE SHOOTS & KILLS ROBBER
Occurred at 5300 Oxford Av at Georges Pizza. Two would-be robbers entered the store armed with guns. Gun fire was exchanged and one offender was shot several times and pronounced dead on scene. pic.twitter.com/gmGnNPoJD8
— PhillyCrimeUpdate (@PhillyCrimeUpd) November 5, 2023
Despite receiving immediate medical attention, the man’s life could not be saved, and he was pronounced dead around 30 minutes after initiating the ill-fated intrusion that led to his demise. 6 ABC News provided further details, reporting that the second suspect managed to evade capture by fleeing the scene on foot.
This left behind a backdrop of chaos and fear in the pizzeria, as employees and witnesses grappled with the aftermath of a violent encounter. Bill Hackett, a resident of the neighborhood where George’s Famous Pizzeria is situated, shared his eyewitness account, shedding light on the dramatic events that unfolded before him.
He vividly described the scene, stating, “What I saw was a guy lying down on the ground. Blood. The owner’s son said he had to shoot him because the guy was shooting at him. Said he had to shoot back in self-defense.”
Hackett’s account underscores how common these types of situations are; where ordinary citizens find themselves thrown into a life-threatening predicament that was thankfully prevented by an armed citizen or employee intervening.
Legal firearms have been frequently employed by Americans to thwart crimes, safeguard themselves and their residences, and even prevent mass shootings. Some estimations indicate that instances of firearms being used in self-defense number in the millions annually.
Dr. John Lott, an economist and president of the Crime Prevention Research Center, emphasized the safety of having a firearm when individuals confront criminals on their own. Dr. Lott mentioned to Fox News Digital earlier this year that the media has significantly underestimated the frequency of Americans using guns for self-defense.
While the news typically reports about 2,000 stories related to defensive gun use in a typical year, Dr. Lott argued that the actual number is more likely to be in the millions. He pointed to an average of 18 national surveys that estimated guns are used in self-defense approximately 2 million times each year.
