Harlem shop owner, 72, shoots dead armed robbers: "A shotgun-wielding septuagenarian killed two men and wounded two others who tried to rob his shop in New York. Charles Augusto Jr, 72, bought a 12-gauge pistol-grip shotgun 30 years ago after a similar attempt, so he was prepared when four young men entered his restaurant supply company in Harlem yesterday afternoon and announced that they were carrying out a "stick-up". One of the robbers, a 29-year-old with a criminal history, produced a 9mm pistol and beat a 35-year-old shop employee identified as "JB" over the head while his accomplices attempted to restrain the shop’s other employee with plastic ties. Seated across the room, Mr Augusto reached for his weapon, took aim at the gunman and fired, killing him almost almost immediately. He fired two more shots, striking all three of the remaining robbers, who ran out of the shop bleeding. One of the men collapsed in the street, where he was pronounced dead soon after. The other two suspects were apprehended after police followed blood trails, and were taken to hospital. The gunman was said to be the nephew of a police officer. The other three, all aged 21, were also thought to have criminal histories. Mr Augusto’s family refused to comment to the media, but locals described him as a soft-spoken, gentle man. Early reports suggest his gun was licensed, and police have not filed charges or taken him into custody".


North Carolina: Duke U student shot during struggle with would-be robber: "A Duke student struggled with a man who tried to rob him, resulting in gunfire that wounded him and possibly the would-be robber, Durham police said. The student and a woman were walking in the 500 block of Watts Street shortly before midnight Saturday when a man armed with a gun approached them from behind, police said. He ordered the pair to put their hands on their heads and started to search them. A struggle ensued over the gun, and two shots were fired, police said. The student was shot in the abdomen, and the attempted robber fled. The victim, whose identity hasn't been released, was treated at a nearby hospital. The woman was uninjured. The gunman was limping when he fled and might have been shot, police said. He was described as black, approximately 40 years old, 5 feet 11 inches tall, with a stocky build. He has bulging eyes. He wore a gray shirt and dark jeans."


Indiana: Armed homeowner stops enraged drunk: "A Columbus resident is accused of trying to break into a rural Whiteland home. Patrick F. Ianni, 33, 4440 Post-horn Court, Columbus, was arrested on charges of residential entry and public intoxication. At about 1:40 a.m. Thursday, Ianni kicked the door of a rural Whiteland home and broke the door jamb but walked away after the owner threatened to shoot him if he entered the home, according to a police report. "The only smart decision he made was not to enter that home," Johnson County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Doug Cox said. "He's alive today because he didn't enter that house." Ianni had visited a comedy club in Indianapolis with his girlfriend earlier that night and they got into a fight, according to a police report. He demanded to be let out of the vehicle and she let him out near the Whiteland Road interchange of Interstate 65. He woke two rural Whiteland residents by pounding on their door. He claimed he was a police officer who wanted to ask them a question. The homeowner warned Ianni that he had a gun and would shoot him if he entered the house and Ianni responded that he had a knife and would stab the homeowner. A sheriff's deputy found Ianni staggering down the road with a bloody nose and he asked the officer if he could give him a ride."


California: Would-be armored truck robber flees after guard pulls gun: "A man tried to rob an armored truck security guard Tuesday morning before running away, police said. The robbery attempt took place as the armored truck was parked near the intersection of South California Boulevard and Botelho Drive. The story was first reported by the blog Claycord.com, which obtained its information from a police radio broadcast. At 10:30 a.m., the truck was parked as the guard was making a money pick-up at a business, Lt. Tim Barrett said. A man approached the guard and demanded he give him money. Instead, the guard went to pull out a firearm, and the would-be robber got into a white Dodge Caravan and drove away. He did not appear to be armed, Barrett said. Police did not have a detailed description of him."