Monday, April 4, 2005

Gastonia, North Carolina

From the Charlotte Observer of April 4, 2005
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Gastonia store owner kills intruder

Charlotte region sees several shootings of robbers, burglars

A 26-year-old Gastonia man with a long criminal history of break-in charges was scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.

But Tony Lee Long was killed early Saturday in what police described as a final -- and botched -- burglary attempt.

The owner of Mac's M&M Auto Parts shot Long about 6:40 a.m. Saturday, Gastonia police said, at the store in the 3000 block of West Franklin Boulevard. Police did not release whether Long was armed at the time.

The fatal shooting marks at least the fourth time within the past year in the Charlotte area that a store owner or clerk has killed a suspect who was allegedly trying to steal from a store. No one has been charged yet in any of the slayings.

They may not ever face charges. Such deaths are often deemed to be justified killings, meaning the clerks don't get charged because prosecutors decide they pulled the trigger to defend themselves.

Ambrose "Snookie" Nwosu is one who hasn't been charged. He shot and killed a man who police said shot at him during a Sept. 9 robbery attempt at Nwosu's southwest Charlotte convenience store.

Clerks and store owners are protecting themselves for a tragic reason: Sometimes clerks are shot and killed. Mehretab Woldeghebriel died Jan. 20 after being shot weeks before when a man tried to rob his Midtown Food Mart on Shamrock Drive at Eastway Drive.

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