Dante's Inferno in Harlem NYC

By ssbn727 (*****)

Date 08-16-2009 02:19 Edited 08-16-2009 02:36

Shopkeeper ‘didn’t want to shoot’ robbers
2 suspects dead, 2 injured after 72-year-old opens fire in New York City David Karp / AP
Charles Augusto Jr. shot four people during an attempted robbery, killing two and injuring the other two.
August 15th, 2009

The sidewalk outside the Harlem store still was smeared with blood Friday, and the glass on the door still was blown out.

Above the entrance, someone had scribbled the words, "Abandon hope all ye who enter here."

Less than 24 hours after a deadly showdown at the shop worthy of a Clint Eastwood script, Charles "Gus" Augusto Jr. entered his store — oblivious of the inscription taken from Dante's "Inferno." The 72-year-old wholesaler of commercial restaurant equipment had been up all night, questioned by police about how he'd drawn a shotgun and killed two of four armed robbery suspects who entered his Kaplan Brothers Blue Flame store Thursday afternoon.

Two of the young men died on the street. Two remained hospitalized in stable condition with gunshot wounds. 'Where's the money?'When they walked in at about 3 p.m. and confronted Augusto with guns, "I didn't want to shoot them," he said, sitting bleary-eyed in his dusty, windowless warehouse, with a fly swatter hanging above his head.

He said the bandits drew their handguns, yelling, "Where's the money? Where's the money?" They pistol-whipped a worker and waved a weapon at a cashier's face, he said.
"There is no money," Augusto said he told them. "Go home."

Stashed away nearby was the 12-gauge shotgun he bought decades ago and said he had never used since a test-fire. He reached for it when he sensed one of the men was about to shoot, and pulled the trigger once.

"I hoped after the first shot they would go away," he said. When they didn't, continuing to menace his employees, he fired again, and again.
Police said one of the men collapsed and died outside the door, just feet from a Baptist church.

"He died in the hands of God," said a neighborhood resident, Vincent Gayle, pointing to the blood-spattered pavement by the church. "But what goes around comes around."

Trail of blood
Another fatally wounded suspect managed to cross the street, leaving a trail of blood before he collapsed. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital, police said.
More blood led police to the other two suspects, who were arrested and taken to the hospital. Charges against them were pending.

Police said Augusto didn't have a required permit for the weapon used in the headline-grabbing shooting the Daily News called a "Pump-Action Ending."But he was a victim, police said, and no charges had been filed on Friday. "I'd rather not have done it," Augusto said, "and I'm sad for those mothers who have no sons."

On Friday, pedestrians were still sidestepping pools of blood along Augusto's block on West 125th Street, a short walk from Bill Clinton's Harlem office.Reactions to the shooting were mixed.Frida Rodriguez called it "a sad day" for the neighborhood. Augusto "was defending his work, his business, so you could perceive that as being heroic," she said. "But on the other hand, these kids died."

The shopkeeper was coy when asked whether, with his shotgun confiscated, he had a backup. "I'm not going to tell you that," he said.

On a personal note: "I would've done the same as Augusto did!!!" Another personal observation from someone who was born, and raised as well as used to live in the City of New York: "I guess Harlem hasn't changed that much other than in it's gentrified appearance which on the surface just makes it look a bit cleaner. :(" Finally, I believe his shotgun should be returned to Augusto because of his second amendment rights!!! What do you all think about this story???

Respectfully,
Henry

By uphill

Date 08-16-2009 02:41

Good story, Imagine what world would be like if he couldn't defend himself and the employees?
Give him the gun back. Augusto most likely paid for it out of his hard work so its just a tool of the trade.

By DaveBoyer (*****)

Date 08-16-2009 04:22

Augusto "was defending his work, his business, so you could perceive that as being heroic,"

No mention that He was defending HIS OWN LIFE AND THAT OF HIS EMPLOYEES.

They should give Him back His gun, and give Him the proper permit to keep it, altho I don't think a permit should be required.

By ssbn727 (*****)

Date 08-16-2009 05:02

I agree Dave!!! The writer of this article reads like someone who is for absolute gun control, and probably doesn't have a clue of the intent of the second amendment at all!

Respectfully,
Henry

By jrw159

Date 08-16-2009 13:45

They should at least give him a gift card. :-)

http://www.star-telegram.com/metro_news/story/1539326.html

Sarcasm gentlemen. $50 dolloars?? Really??? What a joke.

They should return his weapon. If they feel it is such a big deal they should ask his employees what they feel should be done. I bet every one of them would say to let him have it back.

jrw159

By BryonLewis (****)

Date 08-16-2009 16:15

They either did this or will be doing this buyback in Orlando, I heard on the radio.

In Kansas City a few years ago at Swope Park (Kansas City's version of Central Park), on a few Sundays throughout the summer. The cops set up road blocks to check every vehicle that entered the park. Just before the check points they had 2 barrels set up, one for drugs, one for guns. It was a notorious hangout for gangs and other unsavory people to party and end up having a shoot out.

They got several guns, no questions asked and a few of them were traced to other murders in the area. Maybe they should've asked questions.

By ssbn727 (*****)

Date 08-16-2009 18:25

Hey Bryon,

Your mixing apples with oranges... Augusto was defending himself as well as his employees from CRIMINALS... He wasn't in the process of planning, or performing a criminal act because if I remember correctly, in NYC -one is allowed to have a rifle or in this case a shot gun so long as it is not a semi-automatic, and is primarily to be used in self defense of one's property whether it be their home or place of business. That is the whole purpose of the second amendment as I interpret it. Any good lawyer will argue the same, and win!!!

Those individuals in the park in KC were performing an illegal act as they violated the law with respect to carrying a firearm in public however, in some other states like Texas as an example, Folks can carry in public!!! So Bryon, Apples and Oranges mixed together makes some weird tasting fruit juice!!! You know what they say about those weird tasting fruit juices don't you?

Respectfully,
Henry

By BryonLewis (****)

Date 08-17-2009 03:35 Edited 08-17-2009 03:39

I was just saying what took place in Kansas City was similar to the program that is taking place in Texas. A gun buyback or drop off.
If he needed a permit and didn't have it then that's on him. He'll probably get his gun back and he should get his permit ASAP.

Being slightly diabetic as I am, I have to dilute my fruit juice with rum or tequila!!! That makes it all better!!!! :-)

By ssbn727 (*****)

Date 08-17-2009 04:14

Hey Bryon, I remember when the Guns buyback program was first implemented in NYC some10+ years ago as the first one of it's kind in the US, and as you can see, it didn't amount to much of a change in the amount of guns out in the street, or bring down crime as whole because, the only thing that did occur differently was a slight decrease in murders for a brief period, followed by an increase that wiped out any improvements in those statistics with overall crime steadily increasing since it implementation ever since unfortunately. :(

With respect to your Diabetes... You need to watch out how much booze you consume also, because of the sugars that inevitably enter your blood stream via your digestive system metabolizing the alcohol into a form of sugar which will then tax your pancreas to produce more insulin than it is currently capable of so, be careful!!!

This warning comes from someone who is a full blown diabetic that has to inject himself everyday (Thank God only once via "Lantus Solostar" which lasts for 24 hrs.) for the rest of his life along with having to fight Cancer via Chemotherapy, and taking immunosupressant drugs as a result of a Liver Transplant almost twelve years ago so, I believe I qualify as someone who knows about this sort of stuff more than the average individual would. ;)

Respectfully,
Henry

By rlitman (***)

Date 08-17-2009 14:32

New York State doesn't heavily restrict long guns (although we do still have a "clone" of the 1994 assault weapons ban in place).

New York City (where this took place), pretty much requires a permit for anything. For target shooters passing through the city, the exception is to allow long guns (ONLY), locked in a case, in the vehicle's trunk, with ammo locked in a separate compartment, and you are required to take the shortest route possible, with absolutely no stopping within the city limits. Its just nuts.
Without a permit, shotgun was illegal. Permits require ALL rifles and shotguns to be registered, and cost almost $250.
I don't think there's a restriction on semi-auto rifles/shotguns, except for the assault weapons capacity limitations.

New York State's laws on deadly physical force do not allow for its use in defending your property (except in the case of arson).
Defending your employees (what this man did), is entirely justifiable, and this shopkeeper should certainly be commended.

By Cactusthewelder (*****)

Date 08-17-2009 21:06

Not so true about Texas. In Texas you MAY carry a weapon on your person as long as it is concealed AND you have a Concealed Carry Permit. You may also carry a Loaded weapon in your car IF you are traveling (Going to the store in your car is considered traveling) In Some Instances in Texas. you MAY NOT carry a weapon even if you have a permit. Example.... anywhere alchohol is served. Also in Texas you MAY own and carry a weapon even if you are a felon and have been out of trouble for at least 5 years. In the State of ARIZONA, ANYONE CAN CARRY A GUN..( unless you are a felon) IT HAS TO BE IN THE OPEN FOR ALL TO SEE. IT MAY NOT BE CONCEALED. This includes Bars and anywere else you want to go.

By uphill

Date 08-17-2009 22:46

Minnesota has been changing its laws concerning cased weapons. You can or will be soon able to have an un-loaded and un-cased weapon in your gun rack. Some of the problem was all of the people who didn't "understand" the law and they were writing thousands of tickets to "folk" that wouldnt zip up the gun cases. The Dakotas ,Montana & Wyoming have some loaded clauses but I am not sure of the context.
I know here now my wife can carry a "Visable" pistol on her walks without any license or permit. Lots easier than the old stagecoach 12 ga. Although the 2/0 buck is much more effective.