On Sunday, a liquor store clerk in southeast Fresno took things much further and shot and killed an armed robber. A second suspect ran away and is still on the loose. Curtice said these types of crimes tend to go up as the economy suffers. "I think they're some realities, the way the economy's going, things like that, that we're going to start seeing a rise in some thefts and various types of crimes. And people are within their rights to protect their lives and they're property," said Curtice.
That sentiment is keeping northwest Fresno's "The Range" busy as people rethink how to protect themselves. "When the economy goes down and property crimes and assaults, and a lot of other crimes start to go up, you will see a lot more people giving more consideration to purchasing a firearm for self defense, possibly applying for concealed weapons on their person for self defense," said William Ayers.
The Fresno county homeowner said he had no regrets about pulling a gun on the suspects Tuesday night. He also said he was more than ready to shoot, if needed. Investigators say stolen property was found in the pockets of both suspects and more stuff connected to the prior break-in was found in their vehicle. They also face additional charges for warrants and parole violations.
