An armed robbery suspect was shot and killed at a Texas doughnut shop on Thursday.
The attempted robbery took place at Snowflake Donuts in the Houston area. An armed man suspected of attempting to rob the shop did not know the shop owner was also armed, the police said.
The Houston Police Department said the man was between 20 and 30 years old. When they arrived on the scene, the gunman was already dead.
Newsweek contacted the Houston Police Department for comment via email outside normal working hours.
The Context
The case of the doughnut shop owner, who has not been charged with a crime, is set to go before a grand jury to determine whether he will be charged with shooting and killing the robber.
Texas has “stand your ground” laws, meaning if the owner can prove he was at risk of being harmed by the attempted robber, then he had a right to fire his gun.
What To Know
The police were called to Snowflake Donuts just after 6 a.m. on Thursday to find a man shot and killed behind the counter, ABC13 reported. The man had a gun, and the cash register had been opened.
While the suspect was the only person shot, a detective said the incident “could have ended very differently” as the shop is typically busy in the morning, and innocent people could have been caught in the crossfire.
This shooting occurred amid reports of several doughnut shop robberies in the Houston area. Harris County officials warned locals in April of two individuals who were stealing from local doughnut shops.
On April 29, Harris County Precinct 7 Constable James “Smokie” Phillips shared CCTV footage on Facebook of one robbery that showed two young men entering a doughnut shop in masks and hopping over the service counter.
Phillips wrote, “The suspects, dubbed the ‘Donut Shop Robbers,’ are believed to be targeting local donut outlets, they are armed and dangerous.”
Officials have not confirmed whether the man killed on Thursday is related to other doughnut shop robberies.
Proponents of “stand your ground” laws say they are important for self-defense. However, these laws have been criticized as resulting in a culture of “shoot first, ask questions later.”
Gun owners in “stand your ground” states can end up killing someone rather than calling law enforcement to de-escalate the situation.
What People Are Saying
Socrates Trujillo, a Houston Police Department homicide detective, told the media: “This is a busy place. We have people getting some doughnuts or kolaches before they head to work or before they head to school. So it could’ve ended very differently. Innocent civilians could’ve been shot and injured.”
What Happens Next
The grand jury is reviewing video footage from inside and outside the doughnut shop to decide whether to charge the shooter with a crime.
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