Armed Robber Killed by Victim: Police

One man is dead after a would-be armed robber was shot by the robbery victim as he tried to steal the victim's SUV.

Police said the victim, whose name hasn't been released, had a gun pressed against his head by the armed robber in the parking lot of the Bel Air Place apartments on Dewberry Blvd. in Lancaster.

The robber forced the victim at gunpoint to take him to his upstairs apartment. The victim said the robber said he'd kill him if he didn't give him "everything he had."

While being held in his apartment, the victim grabbed his own gun and started shooting at the robber. The two exchanged gunfire inside the apartment and the shootout continued to the breezeway and down into the parking lot.

Witnesses said the robber and the victim exchanged seven or eight shots during the incident.

Police say  the robber was shot and killed while trying to steal the victim's SUV.

"It is under investigation, but everything leads us to believe that is was a robbery attempt and he was the victim," said Lt. Kelly Hooten with the Lancaster Police Department.

The victim's name hasn't been released by police and he hasn't been charged with a crime.

He returned to his apartment around 7:30 a.m. Thursday after being interviewed by police. He wouldn't give his name, but agreed to talk about what he was thinking during the robbery attempt.

"I was scared for my life," he said. "He pressed a gun against my head and told me to give me everything I had."

"Wouldn't you be scared too, if there was a gun pressed against your head?" he said.

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