Armed robbery of 40-50 people

[fredtubbs]

This occurred very close to my house.

"Eyewitnesses tell us two men with hoods and bandanas went from table to table, demanding cell phones, wallets and purses. Unsuspecting customers said the men later fired two rounds into the air as they ran out of the restaurant... About 40 to 50 customers were robbed. The attackers remain on the run. There were no reports of any customers or restaurant employees that were hurt during the robbery."

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?secti ... id=6622405" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

So, here's my question for the wise people on this site. If you're there and carrying when 2 armed men begin to rob the place - with 40 to 50 other people there - what do you do?

Draw and fire? What if a shoot out begins and innocents get hit?
Sit and wait? What if the BG's shoot someone?
Something else?

[AEA]

If they are robbing everybody, Cell Phones included, I am sure they are not using the "Honor System" for the folks to give up their phones, etc.......they are obviously frisking them.......

Therefore, before they get to me and get my gun from me, I will be watching for an opening to draw and fire.

[Oldgringo]

There was no description of the robbers? Surely, someone must have noticed their ethnicity?

What would I do in this or a similar situation? I dunno', I reckon I'd wait for an opportunity to take them out before they took my gun. Two people can't point their guns at 40-50 people all of the time.

What am I going to do? Stay away from Houston; especially, at night.

[KRM45]

Nice situational awareness...

"I did not know it was happening until somebody at our table said, 'OK, there's a couple of people with guns here'," said one victim with whom we spoke. "I had to look around for probably 30 seconds before I saw them and by that time, they had made it to our table already."

So, here's my question for the wise people on this site. If you're there and carrying when 2 armed men begin to rob the place - with 40 to 50 other people there - what do you do?

Get up and walk out?

[bdickens]

Without having been there, there is not enough information to make a realistic decision here on the internet. Too many variables come into play.

Where are you sitting? Is there a clear field of fire? How far from you are the bad guys? What is your marksmanship skill?

That's just what I can come up with off the top of my head.

[bayouhazard]

Get up and walk out?

I like it!

[03Lightningrocks]

The problem with the get up and walk out theory is that getting up and moving toward the door is sure to make you a target.

[fredtubbs]

I don't think this is a 'Houston' only type of crime. Could have easily happened anywhere.

That being said, crime in the west side of Houston continues to be an problem since Katrina. The influx of bad guys (and people with no respect for the property they got rent free) caused many of the apartment complexes to downgrade their rent and, therefore, attract a more questionable quality of tenet. This was not the case prior to Katrina.

[HighVelocity]

I would have to be certain that NOT complying would cause innocent lives to be lost and I wouldn't know for sure until I was out of ammo.

[bayouhazard]

The problem with the get up and walk out theory is that getting up and moving toward the door is sure to make you a target.

There are many real world examples where leaving worked out great for the people who left.

[Lodge2004]

Was eating breakfast with my daughter this AM at an IHOP in Atascocita and tried to mentally walk through a similar scenario. The place was filled with little kids but I also noticed quite a few men with vests, fanny packs, day planner type cases, etc... It would be a tough situation to deal with that would require split second decision making.

40-50 people getting robbed is hard to wrap the mind around, especially since it was only 2 BG's. I wonder if many of the people just claimed to have been robbed in the hope that somebody was going to give them something free. It's not outside the realm of possibility though. I sat on a jury once for a guy who robbed about a dozen people with an empty shotgun. To keep them compliant he kept racking the slide. That sound alone made the witnesses break down in tears on the stand. We sent the guy to prison, but it was hard to see people who were reduced to quivering jello because of something they learned on TV.

[03Lightningrocks]

The problem with the get up and walk out theory is that getting up and moving toward the door is sure to make you a target.

There are many real world examples where leaving worked out great for the people who left.

I think you misunderstood who you would become a target of. If I were there, eating dinner, I would perceive your actions as cowardly and shoot you before you could get away..............

[Stupid]

It's running time. most restaurant has more than 1 exit. at least one front and one in the back.
Only time i'd put up a fight is if i were cornered and no where to go.

[magicglock]

I guess my reaction would be more dependent on the perceived threat. If this was just a theft and I didn't see this situation as a threat to lives, I would most likely not risk other lives by escalating the situation to gun fire. If I felt lives were certainly at risk or the situation began to escalate, I would do my best to make sure the first gun shots would be well placed in the center of BG mass! The property loss is not worth the potential risk to innocent witnesses involved in gun fire. Tough call if you were not there.

[stevie_d_64]

As always this is a tough call...And these types of armed robberies are happening more frequently these days...

I noticed in the picture in the news link that the police unit had what looked to be an "after hours" club flyer on the hood...

They sure don't waste time or sense in that area of town when it comes to that kind of stuff...