When a customer attempted to steal several four-packs of Red Bull energy drinks from an Indiana gas station, the station’s employee brandished a firearm. Vincent Bibbs, a 49-year-old shopkeeper, didn’t want to allow the robber to escape without a fight, so he drew his unlicensed handgun and confronted him. Nonetheless, Bibbs fired the gun into the man’s face, killing him.
Now, Bibbs has been arrested on a charge of murder for the things he did to the shoplifter. The Indianapolis Metro Police Department issued a statement revealing that Bibbs was charged with murder. On Tuesday, Bibbs appeared in court and was set for a pretrial conference later this month.
Damon McClain, a 49-year-old veteran of the United States Army, was shot and killed in Indianapolis on April 23. His memorial page says that he had a “huge heart of gold.” Friends and family described him as having a “big heart of gold” on his memorial webpage. The shooting took place at a Speedway located at 4960 E 56th Street in Indianapolis. A witness saw Bibbs running out from behind the counter to pursue someone who was attempting to leave the station with what appeared to be a “big clear bag of something.”
A single shot was reportedly fired before Bibbs returned to his job as a gas station clerk and served two customers before phoning 911 for the victim. According to one witness, they heard someone yelling “Hey, hey, hey!” and “just give it back” before a single shot was fired. After allegedly shooting the bullet into the shoplifter’s face, Bibbs resumed his duties at the gas station and serviced two consumers before calling 911 for the victim.
Bibbs, on the other hand, claimed that he knew nothing about the crime. He stated that he had not heard the shot and never possessed a weapon. The victim died in his car of a single gunshot to the head at around 11:35 p.m., according to police records.
Near the body, police discovered a black 9mm pistol and a single shell casing, according to a Daily Mail story. They also located several of the stolen Red Bulls nearby.
On CCTV footage from the Speedway, McClain was seen stealing Red Bulls. He was captured on video putting the drinks into a bag before exiting the shop. Bibbs was later seen leaving the Speedway in pursuit of the thief, who had stolen items from that business.
When confronted with this evidence, Bibbs claimed that he “messed up by going outside” before confessing to the weapon. He also stated that he aimed the loaded gun at the victim when it “just went off” in his face.
On the day of the shooting, Bibbs was arrested in Alabama on a charge of first-degree murder and one count of carrying a weapon without a license.
The victim’s memorial site stated “ALWAYS had a story to tell, a prank to play or a challenge to execute. Damon was extremely intelligent and had a way of connecting with others. He had the ‘gift of gab’ and could hold a conversation with anyone about anything, whether it was a top dignitary official or someone down on their luck. Damon was engaging and had a commonsense way of making you look at things. He was an entertainer by nature. His laugh was infectious, and his goal was to meet at least one new friend a day.”
