The owner of a Georgia jewelry store was killed June 26 when a smash-and-grab robbery attempt escalated into gunfire, news reports say.
Press accounts identified the deceased as store owner Mitch Mobley, CEO of the Mobley Jewelry Co. in Villa Rica, Ga. He appears to be the only store employee physically injured during the robbery.
According to news reports, the tragedy was set into motion when four men armed with hammers entered the store intending to steal jewelry.
“We’re not sure about who produced the first weapon, but there was a shooting inside,” Villa Rica Police Capt. Keith Shaddix told WSBradio. “One employee of the store was hit. He was pronounced dead on the scene.”
Following the shooting, three of the suspects and a driver fled in a black sedan. A fifth, thought to be the gunman, fled to a nearby restaurant and was eventually taken into custody.
News reports describe local residents as devastated by the news, and some expressed their grief on the store’s Facebook page.
“Mitch was a great man and always was very nice to me and my family,” one wrote. “I was honored to have been his friend.”
JCK’s June issue includes “50 Tips To Prevent Jewelry Store Robberies or Minimize the Damage Should They Occur.”
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