Surveillance video obtained by CNN shows a man entering the Norco Market & Liquor store and pointing a gun at the owner behind the counter. The owner then grabs a gun and shoots the suspect.
The sheriff’s department said the owner fired a single bullet from a shotgun, which caused the suspect to flee.
“A legally armed member of our community prevented a violent crime and ensured their own safety, while being confronted by multiple armed suspects,” the department said.
The owner, who did not want to be identified to protect his privacy, told CNN he saw an armed man approach the store moments before he entered.
CCTV footage outside the store shows another gunman exiting a parked SUV and walking towards the store just before the injured suspect returned to the vehicle, apparently shouting ‘he pulled my arm’ .
Authorities said a suspect was later found at a Southern California hospital, apparently suffering from a gunshot wound. He remains hospitalized in critical but stable condition, the sheriff’s department said, noting he will be jailed after he is released from medical treatment.
Three other people in the SUV were arrested and convicted of theft and conspiracy, the department said, adding that authorities found several stolen firearms inside the stolen vehicle.
They were arraigned on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty, a spokesperson for the Riverside County prosecutor told CNN.
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