Houston, Texas

From the Click2Houston.com of April 11, 2006

Pawn Shop Owner Opens Fire On 3 Armed Robbers

Shootout Caught On Tape

The owner of a southwest Houston pawnshop opened fire on three armed men who tried to rob his business and the shootout was caught on tape, KPRC Local 2 reported Tuesday.

Gunmen entered the A Plus Pawn Shop, in the 11200 block of South Wilcrest, on March 28, and started shooting, according to witnesses.

"I grabbed the first gun I could find and started firing," owner Steve Smith said. "They planned on taking us out, I think. That's the way I figured because they never said a word."

Witnesses said the gun battle sounded like fireworks.

"It looked like a scene from a movie at first. It was like, this cannot be happening," a witness said.

A female employee was shot in the chest and survived.

The shootout was caught on tape by the store's new surveillance video system.

"I really would like to get them off the street because it's going to happen to somebody else," Smith said.

With 20 years in the business, Smith said he has never come face-to-face with gunfire.

"I’m kind of afraid to leave here sometimes because I'm afraid something's going to happen, like they may come back after me," he said.