Samuel Williams could soon become a poster child for concealed carry. Or rather a poster senior citizen.
Williams is being hailed as a hero this week after he sprung into action on Friday to thwart an armed robbery at an internet cafe. Williams was present when two masked thugs walked into the Palms Internet Cafe in Marion County, Florida. One of the men was brandishing a gun while the other had a bat. They started ordering patrons around and one smashes a computer screen. That’s when Williams took action.
Elderly Man Samuel Williams Shoots Robbers at Internet Cafe
Elderly Man Samuel Williams Shoots Robbers at Internet Cafe
Elderly Man Samuel Williams Shoots Robbers at Internet Cafe
Elderly Man Samuel Williams Shoots Robbers at Internet Cafe
Elderly Man Samuel Williams Shoots Robbers at Internet Cafe
Ocala.com explains what happened:
Williams was seated toward the back of the cafe dressed in a white shirt, shorts and baseball cap.
One of the masked men, identified as Duwayne Henderson, 19, comes in pointing a handgun at customers. The second man, Davis Dawkins, 19, is seen swinging a bat at something off screen, which was later identified as a $1,200 computer screen.
As Henderson turns his back, Williams pulls out a .380-caliber semi-automatic handgun, stands from his chair, takes two steps, nearly drops to one knee, and fires two shots at Henderson, who bolts for the front door.
Williams takes several more steps toward the door and continues firing as Henderson and Dawkins fall over one another trying to exit the building. The two eventually run off screen.
Surveillance video captured it all:
Both of the crooks suffered non-life threatening gunshot wounds and were later captured. And according to police, Williams — a licensed concealed carry gun owner — won’t face any repercussions.
“Based on what I have seen and what I know at this time, I don’t anticipate filing any charges,” Bill Gladson of the State Attorney’s Office, told Ocala.com.
But he’s not the only one talking. Some of the customers are. And they’re grateful for what Williams did.
“I think he is wonderful. If he wouldn’t have been there, there could have been some innocent people shot,” said Mary Beach.
UPDATE:
Ocala.com also has an interview with one of the robbers, Duwayne Henderson. In it, Henderson describes the robbery from his perspective:
“I feel horrible. It doesn’t feel good. It makes you think about life’s decisions, and how you should live your life,” Henderson said in an interview with the Star-Banner at the jail on Saturday afternoon.
Hours after his release from the hospital, Henderson, who talked about the pain he feels in his buttock and hip, said the plan was to “barge in, get the money and leave.” He said “he never expected anyone to be armed.”
“The gun was broken and rusty and wasn’t loaded. Nobody was going to get hurt,” he said, standing with crutches.
Retrieving the customers’ phones was what he said was their “main priority.” That way, he said, the customers could not call law enforcement officials.
Henderson theorizes the reason why he was caught off guard is because, when Dawkins entered the business, he busted a computer monitor with the baseball bat and “glass got into his face.”
“He couldn’t warn me,” Henderson said.
With the glass temporarily blinding his friend, Henderson noticed two women were behind the counter and he thought that was “fishy.” Turning around to see what the women were doing, Henderson said he was shot.
“I turned around to run and my
leg gave out. That was when I got shot. I hit the ground, and he was still shooting. I thought I was going to die,” Henderson said.
Henderson said that, “by the grace of God,” his “leg came back.”
“I ran,” he said.
Elderly Man Samuel Williams Shoots Robbers at Internet Cafe
The two would-be robbers, Henderson (L) and Dawkins (R). (Via Ocala.com)
He and his counterpart, Davis Dawkins, fled to a friend’s house and were eventually apprehended. Henderson says Dawkins used to be an employee at the cafe and knew there would be money on hand.
And even though Henderson seems to be carrying some remorse, he still has a bone to pick with Williams, the elderly man who shot him, for firing while he (Henderson) was on the ground.
“I was down, and I’m not going to continue to shoot you,” he said.
A piece of information Williams didn’t have the luxury of knowing.
Get more details from Henderson over at Ocala.com.