SOUTH LONDONDERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A robbery suspect was shot and killed by police in Lebanon County after he tried to rob a gun store, according to Lebanon County District Attorney Dave Arnold.
It happened around 6 a.m. Monday at the Horseshoe Pike Gun shop located at 2703 Horseshoe Pike in South Londonderry Township. Officers were alerted to the burglary-in-progress after a security alarm went off at the store.
When police arrived they encountered a heavily armed suspect, “He was armed quite heavily in addition to the guns stolen from the shop,” Arnold said. The unidentified man was killed in a nearby field across the street from the gun store. Police spent hours scouring the field. “Gathering evidence, making sure that we don’t miss anything,” said Arnold, who said they found multiple weapons in the field and behind the shop. “We have to do inventory but a large amount of weapons have been found already.”
Investigators said the situation could have turned out much worse.
“Everybody is quick to criticize police officers for the work they do,” Arnold said. “They have to make life altering decisions in a split second and I can’t imagine how difficult that must be. Here they encounter a man that they know is stealing guns, one would assume he was heavily armed, and turned out to be heavily armed,and I just hope people consider how difficult it is for officers to make those decisions.”
Arnold confirmed Monday afternoon that the ATF had joined the investigation, along with South Londonderry Township Police, and other departments. He said they are looking into the possibility of other suspects involved in the robbery.
