Police: Customer kills man robbing store with paintball gun

John Bacon | USA TODAY

An armed bystander who fatally shot a man accused of trying to rob a Chicago store on Halloween night with a paintball gun probably won't be charged, police said Monday.

Reginald Gildersleeve, 55, died at the scene of multiple gunshot wounds. The shooter had a concealed gun permit and was legally carrying the weapon when the shooting took place, Officer Janel Sedevic said.

Sedevic told USA TODAY the suspect — Gildersleeve — walked into the store, pulled out the paintball gun, threatened an employee behind the counter and announced a robbery.

"A customer in the store drew his own weapon and fired at the suspect," Sedevic said. "There were other customers in the business at the time. The offender was fatally wounded."

Gildersleeve had an extensive criminal record, including prior arrests for robbery, police said. Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told the Associated Press that Gildersleeve was free on bond when the shooting took place.

Igbinosa Oronsaye, whose mother was married to Gildersleeve, told the Chicago Tribune he wasn't convinced the shooter acted properly.

"Some people don't actually know how to use guns," he said. "They go to firing ranges, but it's not the same as a bullet going into someone's body, it's not the same as a bullet going into flesh. ... You just took a brother, you just took a father from a lot of people. Somebody's got to answer for that."

Guglielmi told AP the police department takes no position on whether legally armed bystanders should take action in such situations.

"You have situations like this, and you have situations that end tragically," Guglielmi said.