Caught On Tape: Long Beach Store Owner Shoots At 2 Would-Be Robbers
LONG BEACH (CBS) — Long Beach police are looking for two would-be armed robbers who fled a convenience store when the owner pulled out a gun and started shooting.
It happened in the 1300 block of West Willow Street late Friday night. The entire incident was caught on tape.
Authorities say two men wearing hoodies attempted to rob the Meadow Made Dairy around 10:30 p.m.
The store owner, 40-year-old Mean Kim, believes his quick reaction probably saved his life.
Mean spoke to CBS2 and KCAL9 reporter Art Barron about his ordeal. "I feel like I'm in a battlefield right now," Kim says.
Kim grew up in Cambodia during the war. Friday night he became intimately involved with gunfire again.
He didn't hesitate to reach for his weapon. "I tried to shoot them. I know they have guns. And if I don't shoot them, they might have a chance to shoot me, before I shoot them."
Kim's shots missed the two would-be robbers.
Kim says the two suspects fled in a waiting car.
He showed the video to several customers today. Nelly Perea watched the tape and then told Barron, "I'm just amazed right now. It's crazy."
Kim acknowledged that the ordeal left him a bit rattled. "It shocked me," he said, "I've been here five years and nothing like this ever happened."
There were no customers in the store at the time of the shooting.
