With the debate about gun control raging in the United States, graphic surveillance footage has surfaced of a mother and daughter, armed with pistols, taking on a robber armed with what appears to be a shotgun in Tulsa, Oklahoma over the weekend.
The suspect, identified by police as Tyrone Lee, 37, has been implicated in a rash of more than 10 armed robberies throughout the region. In the video, he can be seen approaching the younger of the two women, Ashley Lee, armed with a shotgun. She initially cooperates with the gunman’s demands, but as he walks away from the register and her mother approaches, both women reach beneath the counter and each produce their own pistols. When Lee returns, they both stand from where they were hiding behind the counter and open fire.
What follows is a dramatic and chaotic scene, in which both women appear to shoot Lee multiple times. Lee, however, still manages to get into a physical confrontation with the mother, pistol whipping her and creating a serious gash on her head. Even after being shot, Lee chases the women around the counter, and at one point, the daughter appears to be trying to find a clear shot on the assailant as he and her mother wrestle for control of her pistol. He manages to disarm the mother, though fortunately she had already emptied the revolver, as Lee then turns the pistol on the daughter and pulls the trigger at point blank range.
The two women, however, made out far better than Lee, who managed to escape the liquor store but was taken into custody when a man matching his description was reported at a nearby hospital seeking treatment for “multiple gun shot wounds.”
According to Tulsa Homicide Detective Dave Walker, “I’m not even sure he got away with his life at this point.”
The mother, Tina Ring, who is also the owner the Forest Acres Liquor store, and her daughter both opted not to be interviewed by members of the media when they arrived. She required stitches for the gash in her forehead but the two women were otherwise uninjured in the scuffle. The owner did provide permission to share the surveillance footage. Her son, Justin Christen, said that he believes his mother and sister’s firearms saved their lives.
“They fought for their life … had my mom not made sure that the pistol she shot was empty, he tried shooting my sister with it point blank,” Christian said. “We’re not going to be victims.”
Lee’s aunt, who says she raised him, told reporters that her nephew has a history of mental health problems, and has been in trouble with the law on a number of occasions before.
“I grew up raising him so I know the problem that he has … he’s sick and I pray they get him some help.”
Watch the video below:
Image courtesy of YouTube
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