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Store owner with shotgun thwarts would-be robber

A gunman did not get the cash he demanded when he walked into a South Philadelphia locksmith shop yesterday morning, police said. He got something unwanted.

A gunman did not get the cash he demanded when he walked into a South Philadelphia locksmith shop yesterday morning, police said. He got something unwanted.

Instead of complying, the owner of Todaro's Locksmith pulled out a shotgun and released a single blast, critically injuring the gunman, police said.

The drama began at 10:38 a.m., when the man entered the store in the 1500 block of Federal Street, said Lt. Frank Vanore of the Public Affairs Unit.

"He demanded money, and the store owner was able to get to the shotgun," Vanore said.

The owner, whom police did not identify, had moved behind a partition where the shotgun was stored, Vanore said.

Authorities were still trying to confirm the identity of the gunman late yesterday afternoon and did not immediately release his name. Police recovered a handgun at the scene.

The gunman was sprayed with pellets in the hands, neck and face, Vanore said.

He was taken to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and later transferred to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where he remained in critical condition yesterday.

The gunman faces charges of robbery and related offenses, Vanore said. The store owner immediately called police and cooperated with detectives and does not face charges, Vanore said.