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To: unclewest who wrote (319904)8/16/2009 7:40:28 AM
From: TideGlider2 Recommendations  Respond to of 793897
 
Shopkeeper ‘didn’t want to shoot’ robbers
2 suspects dead, 2 injured after 72-year-old opens fire in New York City

David Karp / AP
Charles Augusto Jr. shot four people during an attempted robbery, killing two and injuring the other two.


updated 9:48 a.m. ET, Sat., Aug 15, 2009
NEW YORK - The sidewalk outside the Harlem store still was smeared with blood Friday, and the glass on the door still was blown out.

Above the entrance, someone had scribbled the words, "Abandon hope all ye who enter here."

Less than 24 hours after a deadly showdown at the shop worthy of a Clint Eastwood script, Charles "Gus" Augusto Jr. entered his store — oblivious of the inscription taken from Dante's "Inferno."

The 72-year-old wholesaler of commercial restaurant equipment had been up all night, questioned by police about how he'd drawn a shotgun and killed two of four armed robbery suspects who entered his Kaplan Brothers Blue Flame store Thursday afternoon.

Two of the young men died on the street. Two remained hospitalized in stable condition with gunshot wounds.

'Where's the money?'
When they walked in at about 3 p.m. and confronted Augusto with guns, "I didn't want to shoot them," he said, sitting bleary-eyed in his dusty, windowless warehouse, with a fly swatter hanging above his head.

He said the bandits drew their handguns, yelling, "Where's the money? Where's the money?"

They pistol-whipped a worker and waved a weapon at a cashier's face, he said.

"There is no money," Augusto said he told them. "Go home."

Stashed away nearby was the 12-gauge shotgun he bought decades ago and said he had never used since a test-fire. He reached for it when he sensed one of the men was about to shoot, and pulled the trigger once.

"I hoped after the first shot they would go away," he said.

When they didn't, continuing to menace his employees, he fired again, and again.

Police said one of the men collapsed and died outside the door, just feet from a Baptist church.

"He died in the hands of God," said a neighborhood resident, Vincent Gayle, pointing to the blood-spattered pavement by the church. "But what goes around comes around."

Trail of blood
Another fatally wounded suspect managed to cross the street, leaving a trail of blood before he collapsed. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital, police said.

More blood led police to the other two suspects, who were arrested and taken to the hospital. Charges against them were pending.

Police said Augusto didn't have a required permit for the weapon used in the headline-grabbing shooting the Daily News called a "Pump-Action Ending."

But he was a victim, police said, and no charges had been filed on Friday.

"I'd rather not have done it," Augusto said, "and I'm sad for those mothers who have no sons."

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On Friday, pedestrians were still sidestepping pools of blood along Augusto's block on West 125th Street, a short walk from Bill Clinton's Harlem office.

Reactions to the shooting were mixed.

Frida Rodriguez called it "a sad day" for the neighborhood.

Augusto "was defending his work, his business, so you could perceive that as being heroic," she said. "But on the other hand, these kids died."

The shopkeeper was coy when asked whether, with his shotgun confiscated, he had a backup.

"I'm not going to tell you that," he said.

msnbc.msn.com



To: unclewest who wrote (319904)8/16/2009 9:06:25 AM
From: Bearcatbob  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 793897
 
"America is broke. If the government was an individual or corporation it would have already filed bankruptcy."

This is the real inconvenient truth of our time. When I try to tell this to our friends on the left I am not well received. It is like it is now their turn at the trough and by God they will have their fill. I respond that the only change we have is who loots the treasury.

It is my belief that there will some economic market event that will end this nonsense in a very unpleasant way.

Below is a link to an excellent article on the coming demographic issues that will only make the problem worse.

rbcfc.com;

Bob



To: unclewest who wrote (319904)8/16/2009 10:36:12 AM
From: ManyMoose7 Recommendations  Respond to of 793897
 
The only thing I have to say is "Thank god for your service, and that of your fellow Purple Heart recipients. And all service people in harms way."



To: unclewest who wrote (319904)8/16/2009 2:35:17 PM
From: KLP  Respond to of 793897
 
Your summation was much better than anything we could see in the news, if there even was notice of Sen. Burr's talk. So, THANKS for keeping us more than up to date!

I wonder if Sen. Burr had given you any idea of areas to look for in the next 90-120 days (before the end of the year...)??

I worry about Americans and finding jobs...We can't get out of the whole financially, unless we are working ...and right now, our Government seems determined NOT to help with that problem statement. We MUST get private enterprise back in business. Consumers are not consuming. Small business is the backbone of this country economically, and small business is just about on its back.

Everyone I talk to lately, no matter their political stripe, has battened down the hatches, and spending much less than they were. They have all lost money in their stocks, pension, IRA, and other retirement funds. Many are retired. Those that are working aren't sure how long they will have a job. The Government in their 'wisdom' continues to heavily tax business as well as high income people. They have just shut down money flow.

Specifically, yesterday, we went to our favorite 'clock shop'. Beautiful clocks of all sizes, especially grandfather and grandmother clocks. The owner said their business had deadlined about 4-5 months ago as far as any sales were concerned....just have any service related items as of now. The hotel business is way down. Airline travel is down. Cruise lines are less busy. Boeing here is just a shadow of its former self. And of course, all housing is down. And yet, Seattle looks to be healthier than some other areas...

Did he mention what the Government can do to help business stay in business so they can hire people again?

PS: Senator Burr's website looks good, and does have this Blog mentioned....it appears to be a good one...

The Health Care Blog'

thehealthcareblog.com