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Hooded Man Enters Store with Gun, Demanding Money. 21-Year-Old Woman Refuses to Give In

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Common-sense wisdom has traditionally said that you should never fight off a robber if he goes for your petty cash.

After all, you can always earn more money, and no amount of greenbacks is worth your life — right?

Well, Zara Adil couldn’t disagree more. The then-21-year-old woman was helping manage her family’s tobacco store in Lexington, Kentucky, when the worst happened: a pair of masked, gun-wielding thugs entered the store.

It was about 7 p.m. on Feb. 27, 2015, and Adil had just locked the front door of Tobacco Zone, the store owned by her parents.

All employees had gotten into the habit of throwing the latch after the sun set due to nearby robberies.

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“One customer decided to leave and unlocked the door on his way out,” she told WKYT. “Meanwhile, the robbers came in the door and went towards the office.

“I wasn’t sure what they were doing at first until one came around to the register and the other one started ushering everyone out of the store.”

After they had cleared the establishment, the thieves came for Adil.



The fast-thinking woman made a decision: She would play along with the thugs — but they wouldn’t get any of her family’s money.

“We work 12 to 15 hours a day,” she said. “It is just quick cash for them, but for us, it is hard-earned money, and my mom works all day here.”

Adil led one robber behind the counter and opened the cash register for him before stepping back. As the man started removing bills from register, he made a single stunning mistake.

“While he struggled to get money out of the drawer, he laid the gun down. I grabbed it and told him to leave or I’d shoot, and the other robber ran away.”

The first man wasn’t so easily deterred. He rushed the woman, and Adil made good on her promise.

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She shot the man in the shoulder, and a struggle ensued, during which she was able to get a view of the man’s face.

He urged her to let him go, and she agreed, then scuffled with him a second time before he finally fled without a single penny.

Adil’s bravery earned her more than merely her family’s money. The Lexington Police Department provided her with a public commendation at an annual awards ceremony.

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A graduate of Wheaton College with a degree in literature, Loren also adores language. He has served as assistant editor for Plugged In magazine and copy editor for Wildlife Photographic magazine.
A graduate of Wheaton College with a degree in literature, Loren also adores language. He has served as assistant editor for Plugged In magazine and copy editor for Wildlife Photographic magazine. Most days find him crafting copy for corporate and small-business clients, but he also occasionally indulges in creative writing. His short fiction has appeared in a number of anthologies and magazines. Loren currently lives in south Florida with his wife and three children.
Education
Wheaton College
Location
Florida
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Entertainment, Faith, Travel




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