The Armed Citizen® Oct. 24, 2025

Armed Citizen® Today

An armed robbery of a pawn shop in Oakland, Calif., ended badly for a group of robbers, all of whom encountered a well-armed shop owner intent on defending his property.

Police were called to the scene of the Cash For Gold shop just before 8 p.m. on Wednesday, September 10, after receiving multiple reports of a shooting, as well as the silent alarm alert from the shop itself. An investigation revealed that five suspects entered the shop and began exchanging gunfire with the shop's owner. Police say the owner's fire struck all five suspects, with one suspect succumbing to his wounds inside the shop while the other died at the hospital. The other three suspects all suffered injuries and received treatment at an area hospital while in police custody.

The shop owner was injured in the exchange of gunfire but is recovering from his non-life-threatening wounds. Police arrived at the shop five minutes after the alarm was received and, according to reports, described the scene as "chaotic," with multiple cartridge casings and several firearms strewn across the scene. One bystander expressed frustration with the level of crime in the area.

"My kids are scared when I go to the store, because there’s no telling what’s going to happen," the woman told KTVU News. "The response ain't coming fast enough, you hear what I’m saying?" (KTVU News; Oakland, Calif.; 9/10/25)

From the Armed Citizen® Archives – August 1973

When two men, one armed with a pistol, entered James Shelton's Washington, D.C., market, the gunman snarled, "All right, old man, don't move. Let's have the money." Shelton dropped to the floor, drew his own gun and fired at the gunman, who fled. The second man confronted Shelton, who told him to leave. "I'm buying," the man replied, reaching into his back pocket. Shelton fired and fatally wounded the holdup man. (The Washington Post, Washington, D.C.)