Army veteran Don Rogers went to a gas station in Sycamore, Georgia, to get change for a $20. The timing of this seemingly innocuous decision—and his decision to carry a handgun—may have saved store clerk Hardeep Benipal’s life:

Today has not been the day Don Rogers was expecting. “I wish the day could’ve went by without this happening,” said Rogers. “I just did what I had to do”

This Vietnam veteran was in this Sycamore gas station getting change for a 20 when his day took a bizarre turn. “I heard somebody say “put the money in the bag”. So I looked up and I seen this gentleman holding a pistol on the clerk,” said Rogers.

Fear quickly came over Rogers, but he knew what he had to do. The gun-carrying veteran pulled his weapon on the robber. “And when I did, he looked over at me and turned my way and I fired a shot. And he grabbed his side and then I fired two more shots before he got out the door,” said Rogers.

Two of the shots hit 18-year old Devin Burton. Burton got into a car driven by, 17-year old Marleigh Agner, and the couple took off down Denham Road, but Burton’s condition worsened so they stopped to call 911.

Assisting residents had no idea what happened just three miles away. “Then I saw them take the driver of the car in handcuffs to the police car and they took the passenger who had been shot, placed him in an ambulance and left,” said Leon Pirkle.