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Jimmy Groover: Gun Store Owner Kills Armed Man Trying To Rob His Shop [Video]

By Tara Dodrill
Published on: 07:37 PST, Jan 10, 2017

Jimmy Groover, the owner of Dixie Gun and Pawn, shot dead an armed robber who tried to rob his Mableton, Georgia store. The 64-year-old grandpa did not hesitate to grab his gun when the gunman and an accomplice stormed his gun shop wearing ski masks.

“Get down on the floor, get down on the floor or I’ll kill you,” the gunmen shouted when aiming their firearms at the employee.

The armed robbers pointed their guns at one of Jimmy Groover’s employees immediately upon entering Dixie Gun and Pawn. The employee quickly complied and held up his hands as the Georgia gun store owner opened fire on the armed attackers.

The entire scene was captured on store surveillance cameras. Footage from the armed robbery has now gone viral.

After shooting and killing one of the armed robbers, Jimmy Groover was ready to aim and fire at the second attacker, but the man rapidly fled the store, the Daily Mail reports. Exactly why the criminals thought a gun store owner would not also be a gun owner and prepared to protect his property still remains unknown. The second suspect in the Cobb County gun store robbery has not yet been identified or captured.

The attempted armed robbery happened in broad daylight the day after Christmas. The 64-year-old grandfather and one of his employees were inside the Dixie Gun and Pawn shop along with two customers when the gunman rushed into the business.

Groover fired two rounds into the armed robber, who instantly fell to the floor as his partner fled Dixie Gun and Pawn, 13WMAZ reports.

“I had no other choice. I hate that it happened,” the Georgia gun store owner told local reporters. “I’ve been doing this 30 years. Nothing like this has ever happened. I never wanted this to happen but I want to go home at night, too.”

Bullet holes were clearly visible in the front window of the Dixie Gun and Pawn store after the shooting. Local police officers described what occurred inside as a gun battle. The armed robbery was not the first time Jimmy Groover’s gun and pawn shop has been burglarized. The store has been robbed about 20 times over the years.

To thwart thieves and to protect the guns inside the store, Groover added surveillance cameras, put thick bars on the windows, and locks all the firearms into safes at night.

“They tell you they’re going to kill you. That’s what they told the man,” one of Groover’s friends said when speaking to reporters after the fatal shooting. “Come in with two guns, tell you they’re going to kill you. He’s got grand babies and family. You got to have some compassion. I’ve known this man all my life,” the unidentified man added.

While Jimmy Groover does not regret taking the necessary quick action to save his life and the lives of the people in his shop, he still struggled to come to terms with taking a life even hours after the Dixie Gun and Pawn store shooting.

“I hate it. I really do,” Groover said. “I hate it. I hate it bad.”

Second Amendment advocates have applauded Jimmy Groover’s quick and life-saving actions on social media. Mableton police officials have not filed any charges against the gun store owner in connection with the fatal shooting. Detectives told area media outlets they do not expect any charges to be filed against Jimmy Groover after their investigation is complete because it appears he acted solely in self-defense.

[Featured Image by Guy J. Sagi/Shutterstock]

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