A liquor store owner in Port Jefferson, N.Y., fatally shot an assailant wildly swinging a samurai sword at him Oct. 3 around 2:30 p.m.
According to Suffolk County Police, the 50-year-old assailant walked into the store and, without warning, removed the sword from underneath his poncho, then began swinging it at the store’s owner. The owner had a gun behind the counter and fired one shot, killing the assailant. The incident was caught on the store’s security video.
“It seems to be, without saying a word, he pulled the sword out and swung it three times—at least three times—at a very close distance to the person behind the counter at the liquor store. At that time, the liquor store owner grabbed the gun and shot him once,” Suffolk Homicide Chief Det. Lt. Kevin Beyrer said in a news report.
The assailant reportedly had a hunting knife on him in addition to the sword. His motives in the attack are unknown.
“From what we gathered, he’s had a troubled last few years,” Beyrer said.
Police confirmed in an email to America’s 1st Freedom that the store owner will not face charges and his gun is legal. Police declined to say whether it was a handgun, and the store’s video is unavailable to the public.
