Donut Store Robber Wanted Dough, But Got Lead Instead

Okay, I don’t know what specific type of ammunition the armed citizen who defended himself was using, but allow me a little poetic license in the headline. Whether the ammunition was lead-based or used another material like zinc, copper, or tin, is ultimately irrelevant to the most important details of the case. 

The Houston Police Department said it happened Thursday morning at Snowflake Donuts on Winkler near Howard Drive, just off the Gulf Freeway.

Police believe a gunman, about 20 to 30 years old, wearing dark clothing, entered the business to rob the place before the employee shot him to death.

HPD said it’s still working to identify the suspect.

“This is a busy place,” Socrates Trujillo with HPD said. “We have people getting some donuts or kolaches before they head to work or school. So, it could’ve ended very differently. Innocent civilians could’ve been shot and injured.”

That statement by the Houston PD staffer kind of comes across as victim blaming to me, but according to other reports the donut store owner wasn’t the only one who was armed.

According to Houston police, the armed suspect entered the doughnut shop dressed in dark clothing in an apparent robbery attempt before being shot by the business owner, who was also armed.

KHOU reports the store owner is not currently facing any charges, but the case will be presented to a grand jury for review.

Police did not immediately identify the suspect but said they are checking to see if this robbery was linked to others in the area.

The suspect’s gun was recovered at the scene, and a cash register was found open, police said.

Apparently there’ve been several other robberies of donut shops reported around Houston in recent weeks, but police haven’t said if they believe there’s a connection between the previous incidents and the robbery at Snowflake Donuts on Thursday morning. 

Whether or not he was throwing shade at the store owner, Trujillo was right when he said this situation could have ended very differently. If the robber was the only one who possessed a gun when he walked through the door and demanded cash, who knows what would have happened to the customers and staff behind the counter. Thankfully, because the store owner did have a gun on them, the threat was ended before anyone else was hurt. 

I have to say that I don’t really think of a well-lit, crowded donut shop as an inviting target for robbers, particularly during a busy time like morning rush hour, but I suppose it makes sense if a criminal wants to hit the establishment while there might be a large amount of cash in the register. This is another reminder that crime can happen at any time and any place, and it’s up to us to be able to protect ourselves from harm… even in those locations where we might think we’re perfectly safe. If I lived in Houston I’d be stopping by Snowflake Donut for a sweet treat this weekend and to shake the hand of the man who defended himself, his employees, and the patrons of his shop. Something tells me business will be brisk today and tomorrow, with plenty of Houstonians wanting to show their support for the business owner.