Texan with Concealed Handgun Stops Armed Robbery

HOUSTON, Texas – A Houston area man shot and killed an armed robber who was attempting to hold him and his young child at gunpoint. The man used a concealed handgun to stop the robbery and protect his son.

The incident happened on Saturday afternoon at a League City McDonald’s. The man and his child were in the drive-thru lane of the McDonald’s when another man approached their vehicle with a gun. Witnesses said it appeared the man was attempting to rob the man in the drive-thru, Fox26 Houston reported.

During the robbery attempt, the driver pulled out his concealed handgun and shot the assailant multiple times. The apparent robber was struck in the chest by the gunshots.

After being transported to Clear Lake Regional Medical, the suspected robber was pronounced dead.

The victim of the robbery was taken to the League City Police Department where he was questioned about the shooting, Galveston County Daily News’ Chacour Koop reported. The man is the holder of a Texas Handgun License.

Police told Coop neither the driver nor his 4-year-old son were injured during the incident. The child’s mother came to the scene and picked up the little boy while the father was being questioned.

The driver, whose identity has not yet been released, was released and was said to be home with his family. He was reported to be very upset about the shooting, ABC13’s Lauren Lee reported.

The man’s attorney, Robert Pelton, told Lee his client was thankful to be alive and that his son was not hurt. “He was trying to get his son, protect his son and I think he obviously saw his chance then to defend himself because he was afraid he was going to get shot,” the Houston attorney explained.

Lee reported that the entire shooting was captured by a security video camera at a neighboring cell phone store.

A store employee, Vanessa Stanford also witnessed the shooting scene. “I looked over and a man was laying on the ground with another man aiming a gun at him. While he was lying on the ground,” she stated. “That’s immediately when I called 911 and told my customers get away from the wall and the windows.”

Pelton told Lee that his client was forced to shoot in self-defense. “I think he [the robbery victim] would want other citizens to know they have a right to protect themselves,” the attorney said. “You have to be cautious all the time, wherever you are.”

The shooting will be referred to a grand jury which should return a no-bill unless some currently unreported facts change the circumstances.

Under Texas law, your car is considered an extension of your home. The “castle doctrine” applies to drivers in their cars. The law also allows the use of deadly force if one reasonably believes they are in danger of death or serious bodily injury.

While the driver of the car has a Texas Handgun License, the license is not necessary to have a gun in the car.

In Texas a handgun can be carried by a non-licensed individual in the following places: (source: Texas Law Shield)

• A person’s residence or other real property under their control.
• A person’s private motor vehicle or watercraft if the handgun is concealed, and the person is legal to possess a firearm, is not a member of a street gang, and is not engaged in the commission of a crime greater than a Class C misdemeanor traffic or boating violation.
• A person engaged in lawful fishing, hunting, or other sporting activity on the immediate premises where the activity is conducted, or is en route between the premises and the persons’ residence or motor vehicle, if the firearm is a type commonly used in the activity.

The incident occurred about 2:10 p.m. on Saturday in League City which is located southeast of Houston and is the home of the NASA Manned Spaceflight Center. The victim and his son were driving a Ford F-150 pick-up truck in the drive-thru lane of the McDonalds located at FM518 and State Highway 3.

Note: This article has been updated.

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas and is a member of the original Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX.