Security video shows violent armed robbery attempt, victim now recovering after being shot twice
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- We're seeing dramatic home security video of an armed robbery attempt from Sunday, Oct. 10 on Milwaukee's north side.
The homeowner just got out of the hospital Thursday, Oct. 14 after being shot twice, and is telling his story in an effort to stop the violence. The man is asking we not show his face or share his name for safety reasons.
He told us he had just put his house up for sale to get away from the violence, and that he bought a security camera, handgun and bulletproof vest to protect himself. Sunday night it may have saved his life.
The man said, "It feels like we're in a war. It feels like every time I step out of my house I'm in a war zone."
The Milwaukee violence was caught on camera. The young couple pulled into their home on 48th Street just off Hampton shortly after 10:30 p.m. when an armed suspect approached his girlfriend on the passenger side. The man said, "All of a sudden she screamed. And that's when I saw the guy put a gun to her head."
He wasn't expecting gun violence, but he was prepared. "I was wearing a bulletproof vest at the time, a bulletproof hat because the neighborhood is very dangerous. I also had a 9-millimeter [handgun] with an extended clip."
He tried to reach across the front seat to shoot the suspect but couldn't get a clear shot. When he circled the back of the car he saw the second suspect in the street. "He starts firing, I start firing. I shoot him, he falls. And then I noticed that I was shot."
He was shot once in the leg, once in the foot. Then his gun jammed, so he ran across the street to call 911. The second suspect limped away. But the first still held the woman at gunpoint, slowly backing her away before letting her go, telling her to not look back as they fled.
Police arrived two minutes later, but the man wasn't encouraged by the investigation. He said, "The police officers told me in a nonchalant way, 'things like this happens all the time.'"
He's a smart guy, a professor who teaches, and is close to earning his doctorate in psychology. He says he has faith this shooting will be solved, but says without a stronger police presence in the city, the violence will continue. "We all should be protected. We shouldn't have to come out of our houses in threat for our life or not even go outside."
The man was treated for two gunshot wounds. One of the bullets remains in his foot, and he's scheduled for another surgery next week.
We reached out to police for an update on this case and any possible suspects.