Armed Robbery in Columbia
*** UPDATE SATURDAY 7:16 P.M. ***Police continue to search for three masked men who held up a Columbia business Friday night. Saturday morning it looked like business as usual at Pro Kutz barber shop, but fear from the night before was still lingering on everyone’s mind. “Just to hear about that it really you know scares me because if Iwas here oh my goodness I wouldn’t haven know what to do,” Kariella Hunt. She wasn’t at the shop during the robbery, but around 20 other adults and kids were there as masked men barged through the front door.”Three males went into the business demanding money and property from the victims inside of the … Two of which had guns threatening to do harm if they didn’t turn over their property,” said Latisha Stroer with the Columbia Police Department.The men demanded the shop full of people get on the ground and warned “this is a robbery don’t make it be a murder.” “Oh my goodness the first thing that would have went through my mind to hear that is your dead, give everything now or you’re dead,” said Kariella. That’s exactly what the victims did, handing over whatever money or valuables they had.Victims said the men quickly ran out the door and the whole robbery took less than three minutes. Frightening details the victims can’t easily forget, but information the police say they’re not being told. “Information they are not providing information to the officers at the scene suspect descriptions or what all happened at the time of the crime,” said Stroer.Now as the barber shop owners add cameras and security to prevent more crime, police wonder why this happened in the first place. “The fact that if the victims are not cooperating then what else is going on,” said Stroer.The suspects’ description is simply three men wearing all black clothing and black ski masks.Police said the beat officers near Vandiver are keeping a special watch to make sure this doesn’t happen again.*** ORIGINAL STORY ***Columbia police are searching for three men they say walked into the Pro Kutz barber shop on Vandiver Drive around 7 p.m. Friday. The man allegedly told everyone inside the business to get on the ground, and proceeded to take their money and belongings before running away. Police are on the scene and ABC 17 News crews are working with investigators to get more information. Check back with abc17news.com and tune into ABC 17 News at 9 and 10 for the latest developments.
