Armed jewelry store owner, concealed carrying motorist refuse to take Chicago lawlessness lying down

The city of Chicago — with its strict gun restrictions — has consistently suffered terrifying gun violence. And now with the added elements of rioting and looting this summer, the Windy City's lawlessness has turned it into a war zone.

Just this past weekend, rioters injured 17 police officers — and one of them was "beaten in the head several times with a skateboard," according to Police Superintendent David Brown.

And at least 63 people were shot over the weekend, with five of them killed as of 5 a.m. Monday, WBBM-TV reported, adding that seven shooting victims were under 18 years of age.

Taking up arms

With even cops finding themselves often outnumbered and overpowered, some Chicago residents have decided to meet the threat with guns of their own.

Terry Te, owner of Imperial Jewelry on Wabash Avenue, told Fox News that looters targeted his store twice in recent months.

"After the first round of looting back in May, they destroyed our building," Te noted to host Neil Cavuto. "So this time, I just wanted to stop as much destruction as possible and decided to come down right away after I heard the alarm ring."

To that end, Te put on a bulletproof vest and armed himself with a gun and ordered looters to stay out, the network said.

While his solo efforts were successful, Te added to Fox News that — despite the push from left-wing elements to defund and abolish police — more cops on the streets would be a welcome sight.

"With more law enforcement in the area, we feel safer, so walking around and having our customers come down, we do feel safer with just having more police presence, having more security, because it stops the looters from even thinking about it," Te added to the network.

And on Sunday afternoon in the city's Cragin neighborhood on the northwest side, WMAQ-TV reported a 24-year-old gunman opened fire on a motorist, striking the victim in the right shoulder.

But the problem was that the motorist, also 24, is a concealed carry cardholder, the station said. And he put his paperwork to use, firing back at the gunman and hitting him in the torso, WMAQ said.

Both men were taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center in serious condition, officials told the station, adding that five detectives are investigating the incident.

(H/T: Bearing Arms)