An attempted robbery didn't go the way the robber intended. When the perpetrator tried to take his victim's bag, he found more trouble than he expected.
Jerad Kluting was walking home from running errands when he saw a man approach him.
The attempted robbery was very quick.
Man dodges bullets during robbery attemptwww.youtube.com
Kluting told Buzzfeed News,
"It's like a premonition when you feel a threat."
The would-be robber covered his mouth with a bandana and pulled a gun from his waistband. He then demanded Kluting's Louis Vuitton bag.
It was obvious the thief wasn't messing around, but something clicked inside Kluting.
"You're not getting my Louis Vuitton,"
He told the robber.
"I worked very hard for this and this bag I've had forever and it means a lot to me."
Kluting had coveted the bag long before he owned it. He spent time saving up over $1700 to purchase the designer accessory.
Can you really blame him?
This didn't impress the perpetrator. He fired two shots next to Kluting and demanded the bag again.
"That's when I turned and ran north. He pursued me that time and he fired two more shots. On the fourth one his gun jammed and he had to reload it."
Kluting was scared a shot would hit him. However, when he turned to look back, he saw the robber running away from the scene.
After, he was able to report the incident to the police who quickly found and arrested a suspect. The 21-year-old who was arrested had a stolen handgun on his person.
In the aftermath, Kluting has said this wasn't really about the bag.
"Yes, I do love Louis Vuitton, but I wasn't going to be intimidated by this bully."
"That bag has even more meaning to me now, but it was about not backing down. It was the difference between right and wrong. In that moment, I made a split-second decision."
After his story started getting national attention, Kluting said he's been called a hero.
However, he doesn't consider himself one.
He said:
"Gun violence is a national issue,"
"The kids and parents of Santa Fe and Parkland are heroes."
His story happened just days before the shooting at a high school in Santa Fe, Texas. Ten people died in the incident.
Kluting feels lucky, as he believes the first two shots were merely warning shots, but the next ones were meant to kill.
While he has no regrets about how he handled the situation, he does admit that he would probably give it up should he be attacked in the future. It's the safer option.
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