These posts are based on our Good Guy with a Gun calendar. Today’s post is somewhat updated from the calendar version.
Yes, robbers broke into a store by ramming it with a Lexus. But that doesn’t do justice to the situation.
Oakland, CA has had a major problem with cars (presumably stolen) ramming into gas stations in an effort to take ATMs and safes. A March 2025 story from NBC talks about three instances happening within 30 minutes. A Chevron operations manager in the story said that her stations were hit 23 times between October 2023 and 2024.
With that as background, then:
A little before four in the morning, three Lexuses pulled into the Shell station in Oakland’s Fruitvale District, and one of the drivers rammed a car into the front of the food mart.
The lone employee, a woman, responded by firing a store-provided Glock 19 at the vehicles.
They left, probably looking for a softer target.
A ShotSpotter alert brought officers out. They found major damage to the building and evidence of a shooting, and nobody with a gunshot wound. A bullet had shattered the front window, and a crew came out later to replace the door.
“We have a weapon in the store, so she just shot outside, and they got scared, so they just left,” Khaled Mubarz, the station’s night manager, told KTVU. “If she hadn’t shot, they would have gone into the store and probably with weapons and probably hurt her.”
Mubarz figures they were after the store’s ATM and its Bitcoin ATM. Police took the Glock as evidence, questioned our Good Gal with a Gun, and let her go.
Noel Gallo, who represents the Fruitvale on the city council, wasn’t surprised a gas station had a gun in it. “This is out of control,” he said. “She’s not the only one at this point that’s carrying a weapon to protect themselves and protect the business. It happened in the past.”
So there it is: At four in the morning in the Fruitvale, the security system is whoever’s behind the counter.
Sources
News
The night manager and the councilmember both talked to KTVU, which posted the video separately.
Oakland Shell gas station employee shoots at would-be burglars: police (The story)
Oakland Shell gas station clerk opens fires at would-be burglars (Video of the aftermath)
Oakland gas station employee fires at person who tried to ram front of store: police (KRON4)