Flint, Michigan

From the July 27, 2005 Flint Journal:

FLINT - People stopping at the Lewis Street Market on Tuesday were still telling Sean Hannosh he did what he had to do when he returned fire during an attempted armed robbery last week, killing 14-year-old Hakeem Nelson.

A beer vendor making a delivery said Hannosh and his brother, who owns the party store, are "good people," but Hannosh said he's still bothered by what he felt he had to do in self-defense.

"It bothers me a lot," he said, ringing up beer and candy for a customer. "I don't want to kill nobody. We're here for business."

Hannosh said he was working the cash register, checking a customer's driver's license about 10:50 p.m. Thursday when Nelson came through the door, wearing a ninja-style mask and carrying a shotgun.

Police are still looking for another masked man who followed Nelson in the store but ran after the shots were fired.

"He pointed the shotgun on me. He said, 'Everybody down.' When we went down, he shot," Hannosh said. "I don't know why."

Hannosh scrambled behind a section of protective glass, grabbed a large-caliber handgun and returned fire twice, hitting Nelson, who ran from the store. He was pronounced dead at Hurley Medical Center.

It was the first armed robbery attempt at the party store - a market that relies on neighborhood regulars for its business - since Hannosh's brother purchased it about three years ago, the two men said.

Since then, Hannosh said he's been bothered by news accounts of the shooting that he believes portrayed him as too quick to shoot the young teen.

"I didn't have time to call time out," he said. "I didn't know if he was 14, 15 or 100 years old."

...

Flint police have said the shooting appears to have been justified.

"I didn't want to shoot him," Hannosh said. "I'm sorry he was 14. I have three kids, too."