ROCKFORD, IL: Don’t bring a pellet gun to gunfight

Photo courtesy Rockford Register-Star. — *Police at the scene where a 17-year-old aspiring armed robber was struck down in his prime by a store clerk.*

Rockford (Guns Save Life) – A 17-year-old aspiring armed robber and soon-to-be father Brandon Pierce of Rockford, IL was struck down in his prime while robbing a jewelry store in Rockford, according to police.

Police did not deny that Mr. Pierce tried announced the robbery while holding a handgun, and the owner of the store retrieved his own handgun and fired a number of shots at the robber and that the gun later turned out to be a pellet pistol.

Just a classic case of don’t bring a pellet gun to an armed robbery.

Or better yet, don’t be an armed robber.

The family asks friends to donate money to the family in lieu of flowers. How sweet.

Photo courtesy honquestfh.com. — Brandon M. Pierce.

Police mum on shooting at North Towne Mall in Rockford

Rockford, IL (Register-Star) — A hole in the ceiling and an undisclosed amount of missing jewelry are what police found when they responded to a 4:15 a.m. burglary alarm Oct. 15 at Jewelry Concepts.

Was it related to Friday’s armed robbery attempt and fatal shooting at the same business in North Towne Mall? Lt. Marc Welsh doesn’t think so.

“I have no reason to believe they were connected,” he said Monday.

Outside of a Winnebago County coroner’s report that Brandon M. Pierce died of multiple gunshot wounds, officials revealed few details about the shooting.

Pierce, 17, reportedly entered the store, 940 W. Riverside Blvd., shortly before 5 p.m. Friday, displayed a handgun and told the employees he was there to rob the business. An employee retrieved a handgun and shot Pierce. Paramedics pronounced the teen dead at the scene.

Welsh would not confirm or deny reports that the employee was the business owner or that Pierce had a pellet gun.

…Most, but not all, mall customers were ready to call the shooting an isolated incident.

…Tom Jones, owner of Superior Spy & Surveillance, 1070 W. Riverside Blvd. in the mall, compared the shooting to a foiled robbery Oct. 1, 2011, at Marie’s Pizza, 1513 Charles St.

Off-duty Winnebago County Deputy Frank Pobjecky halted the robbery when he used the business owner’s gun to shoot the four suspects. Among them was Michael D. Sago, 16, who was killed.

“I’m sick of the crime, and I’m sick of people taking advantage of other people,” Jones said. “This shows that if you come into any place of business, you are not always going to win.”