Defenseless shopper robbed, carjacked after leaving store at ''no-guns'' Strip

The Canton Repository is reporting that a man was robbed at gunpoint and forced into his car Tuesday afternoon as he left a store at The Strip.

Thanks to the lobbying efforts of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, who were successful at removing language from HB12 which would have disallowed businesses from banning CCW in their parking lots, the landlord at The Strip has posted "no guns" signs at the entrances to the mall. In doing so, The Strip denies customers and employees the ability to protect themselves even while driving to and from the property. The Strip also renders businesses which do not which to be victim zones (such as WalMart), as "no-guns" zones none-the-less.

The Repository reports that the victim told police he was going from Borders Books Music & Cafe to his car at about 1 p.m. when he was approached by a man with a small handgun.

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The victim was forced into his car, while the suspect got into the passenger’s side. The robber made the victim drive toward Wal-Mart, also located at The Strip (in the photo of a "no-guns sign at The Strip, this Walmart can be seen in the background).

According to police Maj. Tim Escola, when the suspect put his gun away, the victim was able to open the passenger door and push the suspect out of the car, Escola said.

“We are not sure of the motive,” Escola told the Repository. “But for some reason, he wanted in (that) car.”

Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the exchange to contact the Jackson Township detective bureau at (330) 830-6264 or (330) 834-3960. Anonymous tips are OK.

Contact information provided to OFCC by one of the retail tenants at The Strip as follows:

Robert Stark
Stark Enterprises, Beachwood Ohio.
(216) 464-2860

Contact information for other dangerous locations is available in OFCC's Do Not Patronize While Armed database.

Related Story:
A Story of Arms in Three Ohio Victim Zones