A Second Store Owner Fights Back and Kills Assailant
For the second time in less that two weeks, a shopkeeper decides to fight back and kills his assailant. Yesterday's incident occurred in Alajuela, a block south of the Central Market, where 43 year old José Méndez Ledezma was brushing his teeth in the back of his jewellery store as his 17 year old employee, Kenneth, is left to tend the store.

Two brothers, Gilberto y Álvaro Chavarría Corea, 17 and 18 years of age respectively, planned the jewellery story heist counting on the fact the young store clerk would not be able to react to their armed assault and would be an easy score.

What the two Nicaraguan brothers didn't count on that owner would be packing his .38 revolver.

According to police, at 1:40pm, the Corea brothers, on their motorcycles, along with a third person on another motorcycle, decide to storm the jewellery store and point a gun to Kenneth's head. The young man gets scared and lets out a scream "José, José!".

Méndez is not aware of what is happening and tells his clerk to hold on, he would be out as soon as he finishes washing his teeth. However, Méndez, came out with gun in hand and counted on the reaction of Kenneth as he taught the young man to do in such a case.

"I hid behind the safe to take cover. One of them shot first. José shot back and hit one of them, who immediately fled the store. The other was behind the counter and José shot him as tried to leaver", was the story told to police by the young man.

Gilberto, one of the assailants, was hit in the shoulder and the bullet exited through his chest. He fell to the ground about 25 metres from the store. Alvaro, also hit, was able to get on his motorcycle and flee the scene. He did not get far.

The result, one brother, Gilberto who was found bleeding on the street with gun in hand died in hospital, while the other bother, Alvaro, who was carrying the bag with the loot and a gun, was also taken to hospital where he remains in delicate condition.

Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) de Alajuela is investigating the shooting.

A similar situation occurred in San Rafael de Escazú last week when several men tried to rob a cellular phone store. The owner of the store fired on the assailants, killing one of them, a 15 year old boy.

The law in Costa Rica is clear on returning fire in self defense.
One, the threat has to be real and imminent. Two, the person shooting did not pose the initial threat. And, three, there is no other alternative.