Identified only as Tien, he believes his rapid response in a tense situation may have saved his life. It had to be fast because Thursday’s scenario unfolded with lightning speed.
“It’s a quick three seconds. No time to think,” he recalled. “It’s all reaction.”
Tien was in the back of the store when the two suspected robbers entered. Both were wearing hoodies and at least one of them was armed.
“Everything was slow motion to me. I saw the mask, I saw the hoodie, I saw the gun come out.” The frightening incident was captured by a security camera.
One of the suspects produced a handgun, and Tien immediately fired the first shot in self-defense. Three rapid rounds were fired back at him, though no one was struck. Bullets from the alleged robbers hit the walls, the glass counter and the owner’s golf bag.
That will make for an interesting conversation starter the next time he is on the links.
As Tien recalled, “Luckily, it wasn’t me.”
A similar robbery attempt from July 2019 was also captured on video. Two armed men entered his business and tried to force the owner into the back. Instead, he managed to fire a warning shot and scare them away.
Tien believes there is an obvious reason why his business is a frequent target for violent criminals. “I think the cash business, the gold business, seems to be an easy target for them, or so they think, but it’s not.”
Mesquite police asked for the public’s assistance in identifying the two alleged robbers seen in the video. Lt. Brandon Rickets told Fox 4 that authorities hope someone will see the images, recognize the suspects and come forward.
He added, “especially the suspect that doesn’t have his face covered.”
