Gun Store Owner Opens Fire On 3 Burglars After They Drive Van Through Shop

by Tim Brown

Stephen Bayezes, the owner of Guns and Ammo Gunsmith store in North Augusta, S.C., opened fire on three men who crashed their van through the wall of his gun shop. The burglars apparently though they would make a quick “smash and grab,” but they weren’t expecting Bayezes to do what he did.

The August 9 event led to Beyezes hitting each man at least once. It wasn’t something he says he is proud of, but it was something he said “you’ve got to” do.

“It’s a haunting thought. It literally is a haunting thought when you see the tire tracks, you hear the tires,” he told WRDW TV. “Everybody assures you that you just did what you had to do to protect your family. They say it’ll heal over time, but when does time go away? It’s something that nobody ever wants to do.”

An alarm was set off because of the crash and he was awakened from his sleep to go and investigate. Bayezes tells what happened next.

“Shoot the [explicative] and I heard a gun cock,” he said. “I mean they would’ve shot me, in my mind, with no reservation. If that firearm had been loaded, I might’ve been a statistic.”

“Is this something you ever wanna do in your life?” he asked. “No. Something you have to do? If you’re forced to it, you’ve got to.”

He says it continues to incident continues to give him nightmares. “Two nights ago I thought I was getting shot by one of these perpetrators,” he said. “Woke up in a cold sweat. I mean I seen the bullet come out of the gun and shoot me. It’s a nightmare.”

For the suspects in the case, things are far worse than they are for Bayezes. WRDW reports,

The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office says Eddie Stewart and Franklin Robinson will be charged with burglary 1st, grand larceny and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. Both suspects are still in the hospital and will be taken into custody once they are released.

The Aiken County coroner says the third suspect, 20-year-old K’Raven Goodwin of Eastover, S.C., died from multiple gunshot wounds on Thursday morning.

Somehow the burglars were able to get away with fifty guns that night. However, all of them have been returned safely.

Once again, police were no where to be found to save Mr. Bayezes. He was dependent upon himself, God and his guns. This is not a shot at the police. It just demonstrates over and over the citizens need to be armed to protect themselves.

Watch the report below:

About Tim Brown

Husband to my wife. Father of 10. Jack of All Trades.

Christian and lover of liberty.

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