'I had to protect my family': Houston convenience store owner kills robber in gunfight

Terror: Usman Seth said the gunman threatened his sister at the cash register with a shotgun

History of violence: The family convenience had been threatened by robbers multiple times since it was opened three years ago



Gunfight: Seth shot the masked gunman in the leg once before finally hitting him again and killing him

A young man whose family convenience store had been a target for criminals since it opened gunned down a robber this weekend when the man threatened his sister.



Usman Seth, 20, of Houston, said the night had been uneventful before the gunman burst in around 10pm Friday.

The robber had a shotgun, and threatened Seth's sister at the cash register.

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Usman Seth, 20, of Houston, said he opened fire on the robber to protect his family

The gunman was later identified as a young Hispanic man who had been in the store 30 minutes earlier

Usman Seth's father - who also bears the name Usman - started the convenience store three years ago and robbers have been a persistent problem



'I wanted to make the threat go away,' Seth told the Houston Chronicle.

He says his father handed him a 9mm Smith & Wesson handgun and he opened fire.



'My family - their lives - were in my hands,' he said. 'I had to protect them.'

He managed to hit the robber in the man's leg, but the masked man returned fire.

Seth opened fire after the gunman threatened his sister at the cash register

'He kept threatening us,' Seth told reporters.

As the gunfight continued, the robber positioned himself beside a Dr. Pepper cooler.

Finally Seth was able to hit him again, eventually killing the man.

Seth said he recognized the man's face when first responders arrived and removed the man's mask.

Seth said the gunman returned fire after he was shot in the leg

He was a young Hispanic who had come into the store about 30 minutes earlier.

The robber's name has not been released.

However, Seth said the man's brother came to the store Saturday morning and threatened to take revenge by murdering the family.

Seth's father, also named Usman Seth, 59, said he worries the family will have peace after this.

'We are continuously getting threats from them,' he said.

A grand jury is expected to review the case.