Police: Intended victim shoots attempted robber

WYNNEFIELD (WTXF) - A suspected robber picked the wrong target and is in surgery because of it.

Philadelphia police say it started early Tuesday morning at the Gulf gas station at Wynnefield and Bryn Mawr.

That's when an employee went into his blue van and saw a man inside, holding a gun, telling him to get inside.

The attempted carjacking didn't happen.

The employee ran back to the shop and the armed man took the van down Bryn Mawr Avenue.

He was about halfway down the block when he approached another man, who'd coincidentally just bought a bag of potato chips at that gas station.

The armed man pointed a black handgun at his intended victim but that intended victim was also armed.

He pulled out his own gun and is believed to have fired three shots, hitting the attempted robber in the abdomen, back and hand.

Witnesses also said they heard about three shots.

That man is believed to have had a license to carry the gun and produced a document.

The victim was taken to the hospital for surgery.

Police say the man who fired is cooperating. He waited for police and turned over his gun. Police also have the other gun, which was not fired.

We don't yet know if the shooter will face charges.