Wounded Fulton grocer shoots robbery suspect

Wednesday, July 5, 2000
ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION
by Beth Warren - Staff

A south Fulton County grocery store owner and an 18-year-old suspect were shot Tuesday during a robbery, while three or four other suspects remained on the run Tuesday night, police said.

Khalid Balala, whose family owns the Hill's Grocery store at 3754 Cascade Road, was forced to the floor at gunpoint by three suspects and shot in the arm about 4 p.m., said Fulton County police Detective Glenn Martin. Balala, still sprawled on the floor, reached for his own handgun and returned fire, Martin said.

One of the suspects was struck in the buttocks and was later arrested, police said. Police believe his name is John Henry Glass III, but he also gave the name of Montavious P. Smith, Martin said.

Both Balala and Glass were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital for treatment for non-life threatening injuries.

Glass, who is charged with aggravated assault and armed robbery, is a Douglass High School student living in Bankhead Court Apartments, Martin said.

Glass gave police a street name of one accomplice, Martin said, but investigators believe another suspect entered the grocery with them and that one or two additional suspects may have been positioned outside the store during the robbery.

Detectives do not plan to charge Balala, who underwent surgery Tuesday to remove bullet fragments from his arm. The handgun used to shoot Balala had not been recovered Tuesday night.

NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed, without profit, for research or educational purposes. We do our best, as well, to give credit to the original news source who published these Guns Save Lives stories out of respect and appreciation for their willingness to spread the word that Guns Save Lives. God Bless the Americans that publish these stories - for assisting Americans in hearing the truth.