Detroit: Gang of Four Tries to Murder, er, “Rob” Man in His Car; Would-be Vic Shoots One of His Would-be Killers, 17, to Death; Others Run

By Nicholas Stix

The story below, which I pulled out of a “Freep” crime round-up, refers to a dead felon as a “would-be robber,” and says that “he and three other youths began shooting at a 50-year-old man sitting in his car at a Detroit shopping center…”

If you walk up to someone sitting in a car, and begin shooting at him, you’re not a “would-be robber,” but a “would-be murderer.”

I wonder if the claim that the gang was looking to “rob” the target was a case of stupidity or racial code. When blacks commit racially motivated murders of whites, the police and media typically disguise the crime via code phrases such as, “the motive was robbery,” it was “a botched robbery,” or a “robbery gone wrong.” Thus, the ridiculous claim that drawing a gun and firing at a man sitting in his car was the opening of a “robbery” may just be racial code for, ‘a gang of four racist blacks attempted to murder a lone white man.’

The first reader comment came from a black man.

• James Foster • Top commenter • Works at Child Protective Services

A very sad state of affairs. Which causes me to think what would happen if ownership of private guns were banned? In this case the three knuckleheads would have been the only ones armed. Laws, like locks, only keep honest people honest. Thugs will always have guns, most are already breaking laws when they get them. No amount of adding additional requirements will stop them, they will only have to pay a little more for them. Why would they open fire on a man sitting in his car? Personally I am glad he was equipped to defend himself. Can we please skip the stories of family and friends claiming this was a good kid who merely got in with the wrong crowd and made a bad decision one day and paid for it.
17

• 17 September at 07:44

* * *DETROIT

Police: Would-be robber killed
Compiled from reports by Bill Laitner, Christina Hall, Lori Higgins and the Associated Press
September 17, 2012
Detroit Free Press

A 17-year-old youth was fatally shot Saturday night when he and three other youths began shooting at a 50-year-old man sitting in his car at a Detroit shopping center and the man fired back, police said.

The 50-year-old, who had a permit to possess a handgun, fired at the youths as they approached to rob him, Detroit Police Sgt. Alan Quinn said.

The incident occurred at 8:40 p.m. in the Grandland Shopping Center -- at Grand River and Fenkell on the city's west side -- when the older man was sitting in his Chevrolet Malibu, Quinn said. The 17-year-old died at the scene while the other youths ran off.

The man was being questioned by police. Quinn said there was no additional information available Sunday on the case.