After three armed, masked men stormed into a Long Jewelers store in Winston-Salem, N.C., broke into a display case, waved guns around and terrorized customers and employees, a store manager retrieved a gun, walked from the back to the front of the store, and shot one of the suspects, who died outside the store.
The suspect—identified as Matthew Shawon Elliott, 30, of Statesville, N.C., had two prior felony convictions for robbery with a dangerous weapon. According to a statement released by police, the manager shot him out of “fear of his life and the lives of the business’s employees and patrons.” No charges will be filed against the armed defender, the district attorney told the Winston-Salem Journal.
The two other suspects, who fled, are still being sought by police. While officers were responding to the attempted robbery, another nearby jewelry store was reportedly robbed.