A looter in Pennsylvania was met with deadly force by a gun store owner after attempting to steal from his shop.
Early Tuesday morning, Greg Isabella, owner of Firing Line gun shop in Philadelphia, was forced to defend himself after a looter allegedly attempted to break into his business and pointed a handgun at him, according to authorities.
“One of the individuals that broke into the property, pointed a handgun at him,” said Chief Inspector Scott Smalls to local media. “And that’s when the store owner fired his own weapon — striking the one perpetrator at least one time in the head, and he collapsed, dropping his gun between his legs.”
Isabella, 67, stayed inside his shop during the night after looters reportedly attempted to break into his shop repeatedly. On Tuesday, he told authorities several individuals used bolt cutters to break into a gate behind the business at approximately 4:15 a.m. They smashed the backdoor, walked to the second floor of the business, and attempted to fire at Isabella.
However, Isabella shot his Bushmaster M-4 rifle at the individual pointing the gun in the head, who was reportedly in his 20s, allegedly killing him at the scene. The other individuals attempting to burglarize the store fled the scene.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw addressed the incident later in a press conference on Tuesday, saying they support the rights of business owners to defend their lives and property but condemned vigilante justice.
“We do not endorse or condone any form of vigilante justice or taking the law into one’s own hands,” said Outlaw while Kenney said he was “deeply troubled” by the incident. Kenney added that “looting has consequences.”
Isabella was not harmed and was taken in by police for questioning. Police said the individuals who fled the scene would likely be charged with burglary, according to NBC 10 Philadelphia.
