Earlier today, two men and a woman tried to rob the Apple Store in Otay Ranch Town Center, Chula Vista, San Diego. They failed, and after a shootout with a security guard on duty, one of the men is dead.
According to reports, the Apple Store had not yet opened when the three would-be criminals smashed through the front door and tried to rob the place. Unbeknownst to the thieves, though, an armed security guard was on duty, who shot one robber after a gun was drawn on him.
The three robbers fled the scene in an Acura, but hit two posts in their departure, at which point two of the three robbers fled on foot. They left behind the third robber, who was dead of a gunshot wound. The remaining suspects were quickly taken into custody by the police.
What a tragic story. I think we can all agree, an iPad 2 is a hell of a thing to die over.
[via Geek]
John Brownlee is a writer for Fast Company, and a contributing writer here at CoM. He has also written for Wired, Playboy, Boing Boing, Popular Mechanics, VentureBeat, and Gizmodo. He lives in Boston with his wife and two parakeets. You can follow him here on Twitter.
91 responses to “Man Shot To Death In Failed San Diego Apple Store Robbery”
they were probably sold out, too
hahaha… It goes to show crime does “NOT” pay! Especially when “they were probably sold out, too!”
Haha! That’ll learn ‘im!
The tragedy was that the robbery was attempted in the first place. The fact that one of the thieves is dead is not a tragedy but a victory. No longer will this individual be a threat or a drag on society ever again…
It’s the new math. Driving these kids right to the streets.
Lots of display models to take and sell on ebay
Amen to that!
A good criminal is a dead criminal!
Dont come with that usual human rights BS!
the tragedy is that only one was killed.
I know what you’re thinking. “Did he fire six shots or only five?” Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you’ve got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?
Haha! The dude actually died from lead poisoning.
Looks like Apple took a byte out of crime.
This is such a sad situation, dead for a bunch of junk that was going to be sold off pennies on the dollar.
Some people just do not like to wait in line.
A Victory?? Seriously? Your glad another human being is dead? You have no idea what their situation was or what paths lead them there. Just because they are in such a poor mental state that they resort to crime does not mean they don’t deserve to live. It is a tragedy that someone lost their life and also a tragedy that you hold this closed minded opinion.
i love the mentality of us geeks. its wayy differnt than from the super religious people of the norm
Yes, it’s sad when any human being dies for any reason. However, I have no sympathy for these people. If they are smart enough to obtain weapons and vehicles and create a plan to steal property, then they certainly have the capacity to be productive members of society, they just chose not be. Don’t do the crime if you…well you know the rest.
I do consider it a victory. And their personal situation is no excuse for committing a crime. I guarantee you that there are thousands more that are probably in a worse situation that dont resort to crime. At the end of the day, he made a choice and that choice ended his life. He alone was responsible for his choice and alone was responsible for his death.
I live near by, incredible, goes to show that crime has a price.
People are seriously glad the person is dead? Because this person did something unethical/illegal, they deserve death?
That has the be the most ignorant and closed minded thing I’ve ever seen from anyone on here. You do not know their circumstances and what lead them to do this, so you have no right to say that about him.
People are seriously glad the person is dead? Because this person did something unethical/illegal, they deserve death?
That has the be the most ignorant and closed minded thing I’ve ever seen from anyone on here. You do not know their circumstances and what lead them to do this, so you have no right to say that about him.
tragedy all the robbers were not killed-BUT according to calif state law the two surviving robbers will be charged with the homicide of their friend even though it was the security guard that shot him dead….. I hope it was worth it you idiots
Oh No! Soon there will be Apple virus too…there goes the neighborhood.
pull a gun and try to kill someone while robbing a business???? Yes they deserve to die you moron- it is people like you that ruin the planet earth for people who deserve to live and breathe the air we share without robbing and killing people- you have the brain of a retarded artichoke randall roads
At what point does it say the dead person is the one who pulled the gun?
People like me ruin Earth? God you are such an egotistic prick. I fully support the guard shooting him, but it’s not anything to celebrate. It’s a tragedy no matter what.
And you just proved how fucking stupid you are when you can’t even spell my name when it’s right in front of you.
I really am stupid though, I have no idea how I ever got into college.
Its this crap that leads to our society being like it is. The excuse:
Your poor, you rob.
Your insane, you kill.
Your were molested as a child, you rape.
It makes my blood boil when these so called human rightists try to obscure the truth that there are just people in this world who never deserve the gift of life, who ruin others trying to enjoy theirs and then making themselves look like victims.
Enough, this criminal deserved to die and it is indeed a victory of justice!
I agree with you, right up until he tried to take the guards life. Someone who would take the life of a man who is just trying to protect others, is no one I morn for.
While I do not view this as a “victory” or anything like that I believe that the man who was shot completely deserved it. If you are going to bring a real, loaded gun and fire it, then you clearly were willing to takes someones life for merely monetary purposes. Now if the man was unarmed then my opinion would be completely different. He deserved to die not because he was going to steal something, but because he was willing to injure or potentially kill someone for monetary reasons.
He didnt just do something un ethical. He and his partner drew weapons on the security gaurd. That’s what got him killed. Rightfully so.
Resorting to unarmed crime is one thing. The moment the criminal pulled his gun, he switched from being a common thief to a person threatening murder.
Once the gun was pulled any number of things could have happened: he could have shot someone beforehand in order to prevent resistance, he could have shot someone after the fact in order to remove witnesses, he could even have simply shot someone accidentally.
I *am* happy that someone resorting to the lengths of threatening the lives of innocent people in order to accomplish nothing more than to steal some household electronics is 100% guaranteed to never do it again.
The only people I feel sorry for are any innocent people who loved him or relied on him. However, their loss was truly caused by the thief himself, not the security guard.
I have no sympathy whatsoever for armed robbery. Being armed during a robbery attempt implies the willingness to kill innocent people for a few hundred dollars.
“At what point does it say the dead person is the one who pulled the gun?”
Um, this part:
“an armed security guard was on duty, who shot one robber after a gun was drawn on him.”
He got what he deserved. Even if they didn’t draw weapons on the security guards, he still deserved it.
40 shots reportedly were fired. Apple needs security officers who can shoot straight.
Hey mister.. I got’s to know.
thats my homie that died rest in paradise fat boy k’z up killah!! we will miss you!
The only way I’d consider anyone’s death a victory would be if the deceased was a Wall Street banker. Security guards are shooting the wrong criminals.
What a senseless act of violence and greed! While I am satisfied justice was served, it came at a tremendous price and that’s just tragic. So many innocent people are now having to deal with the aftermath… the families of the perpetrators and most importantly, the guard and his family. You can’t possible take a life, how ever justified, and not be effected by it. It angers me that those hoodlums put the guard in such a position in the first place!
Apple Lovers are so blind, Did anyone hear the Xoom news.
3 Innocent People were shot trying to break into a Best Buy to Return their Xooms
Their was no lines of People standing outside to buy Xooms but did any of You I.Lovers see the lines of people on the inside trying to return their Xooms
Wake Up People, their are plenty of Android Tablets available.
Kappa
At the end of the day though, regardless of what situations and life choices eventually lead to the news story we speak of, did the person not make a choice? And he presumably knew the risks the moment the choice was taken. And thus did he not make his bed and must recognise the consequences that will lead to him lying in it?
I believe to take a tennis phrase, the ball has now entered Randall’s court. What do you have to say to that Mr Rhoads?
Perhaps Apple should look into redesigning their security staff’s weapons.
Or install one of those gun turrets from the Valve game Portal, which looks strangely Apple like in design.
I like this part “I really am stupid though, I have no idea how I ever got into college.”
Because it is so difficult to get into college. Know what the admittance criteria is for most colleges? If you are able to navigate the front door without assistance.
We don’t need to celebrate the death of the moronic crook, but we definitely have no reason to mourn him. He pulled a gun and threatened the life of another human being because he wanted some fad consumer electronics. I don’t care why he wanted them, I don’t care if he has a family that is starving, that makes him all the more stupid for putting his own life at risk doing something illegal rather than go get a damn job.
touché!
Wow! There is some much funny stuff in this thread. The best one on this news item as far I know.
Carry on, netizens!
If apple made a gun,what would they call it?
iSee iKill