When a teen saw a 67-year-old man walking alone in the woods, he likely thought that he had found an easy target. After donning a ma-sk, he attempted to r-ob the str-anger. Unfortunately for him, he’d pay a bitter price.
A case out of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, involving an unnamed 67-year-old ro-bbery vi**im and 18-year-old Tyler Williams of West Philadelphia, received national attention after the teen made a fa-tal mistake. After spotting the 67-year-old man walking a path in the woods at Cobbs Creek Park, Williams decided to confront him and demand cash, ABC 6 reported.
Williams had arm-ed himself with a gu-n. There was one big problem, however. The teen had set out to make his intended vi**im believe his life was in dan-ger, but the gu-n was actually a “toy,” according to NBC 10. Unfortunately for Williams, he succeeded in making the 67-year-old man believe his life was legitimately thre-at-ened.
After the masked assailant approached the older Pennsylvania man in broad daylight on that fateful Wednesday and pointed what later turned out to be a pellet g-un in the man’s face, a brief physical alter-cation ens-ued. The intended vi**im grab-bed the g-unma-n’s fir-ear-m, deflecting it away from his head, as he simultaneously pulled out his own .38 ca-liber han-dg-un.
Fe-aring for his life, the man shot Tyler Williams in the head, dropping him to the ground. The 67-year-old then exited the woods and called the po**ce, who arrived only to realize the gu-n Williams had used in the attempted ro-bbery was “fa-ke.” But, even the po**ce thought the pellet g-un was “real” until they got a closer look at it, according to Upper Darby Po**ce Superintendent Michael Chitwood.
Williams d**d at the scene. He was found with the pellet g-un, a ma-sk, and half a dozen cell phones on him. According to the Delco Times, the sh-oo-ting was ruled “justifiable” after it was determined that the intended ro-bb-ery vi**im was a “concealed we-ap-ons license” holder with no previous c-ri-minal record. Although he was initially taken to a local hospital with chest pa-ins following the in-cident, he reportedly made a full recovery. With the sho-ot-ing ruled an appropriate act of se-lf-def-ense, he didn’t face any ch-arges.
While most applaud the 67-year-old for doing what he felt need to be done at the time to ensure his own safety, there are those who condemn the fact that this man was able to defend his lif-e with a fi-re-arm. They are seemingly tro-ubled by the fact that a young ad-ult with a “fake” g-un is d-ea-d because an ar-me-d citizen was able to use le-th-al force to stop a cr-im-e from being committed against him. But, there are a few important things to point out here.
What appeared to be a let-ha-l fi-re-arm was pointed at this man’s he-ad. Even the po**ce didn’t realize it was a pellet g-un until they were able to look closer at it. Furthermore, Tyler Williams wanted the man to believe it was “real.” It was his intention to make the 67-year-old believe his li-fe was in da-n-ger. He succeeded, just not with the result he had intended.
We also have to realize something very important about what so many news outlets are calling a “fake” or “toy” g-un. It was a pellet g-un. So, it was real. It just isn’t typically le-th-al agai-nst humans. However, it most definitely can be. “The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has reports of about 4 de-at-hs per year caused by BB guns or pellet rif-le-s,” according to a CPSC Safety Alert. The risk of de-at-h is increased if you are hit in the eye or he-ad. This g-un — which is not a toy no matter what NBC’s headline says — was pointed at the ro-bb-ery vi**im’s face. So, his reaction was justified, just as po**ce determined.
We should be able to walk on a path in the woods of a park without any type of g-un- being pointed at our he-ad by would-be ro-bb-ers. Sadly, that’s not the world we live in. But, perhaps if more of them realize that their cri-mi-nal acts might cost them a bitter price, including their own li-fe, they might think twice. Yes, in this day and age in the great country of America, you don’t know who might be ar-me-d.
While that might sound scary at first, just remember, if you don’t try to commit a cri-m-e, you won’t have to find out who is le-gally carrying a g-un and who is not. On the other hand, if a cri-mi-nal decides to pr-ey on someone who looks weaker, elderly, or frail, they just might find out why a g-un is called the great equalizer. It’s unfortunate for anyone to d*e, but if it comes down to an inn-ocent civilian and a person com-mitting a cri-me, the choice seems obvious.