Expand / Collapse search
☰

Tampa area gaming store robbed at gunpoint twice in 2 weeks, owner says

By
Published  September 23, 2024 5:45am EDT
Hillsborough County
FOX 13 News

Game store robbed twice in two weeks

Game store robbed twice in two weeks

TAMPA, Fla. - A Tampa gaming store was robbed of gaming consoles twice in a two-week period. Employees at ‘R U Game?,’ located in the University Collections shopping plaza off Fowler Ave., are confident the same suspect is linked to both incidents.

"It's unfortunate that someone is going to target a small mom-and-pop store that's been around serving the community for so long," Owner Shane Butcher said.

Butcher said gaming consoles at the shop are located behind the counter for a reason.

"Normally we just have it on the back counter to prevent this kind of thing so that people can't just snatch it, run off until they pay," he said.

He said his employee was caught off guard on Wednesday, Sept. 4, when a suspect still got away with a PlayStation 4.

"A guy came in with a blue mask up. Came in, acting like he was a customer. Asked to buy a PS4, rang it up, and then he brandished a weapon out of his hoodie," he said. "He didn't pull it all the way out, but he pulled enough out to see it was a handled weapon."

The employee, stunned, handed over the console that cost roughly $200. Butcher contacted the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. Last Friday, the same employee was working when the suspect returned."

Same mask, different hoodie. The first time it was a white hoodie, the second time it was a black hoodie. Same guy, same mask," he said.

This time, the store's cameras were down. The suspect demanded a PlayStation 5, which retails for $430. Butcher said since the robberies, all of his employees have either undergone or currently undergoing firearms training to prevent this from happening again.

READ: Man killed in shooting, Sarasota police working to identify victim

"The employee was scared at some point but not anymore," he said. "They now have the means accessible at arm's length if this happens again to get home to their families."

R U Game? opened its doors in 2011 and offers a variety of current and retro gaming consoles and games.

"I love video gaming and retro gaming and vintage toys and stuff like that because it just reminds me of my childhood," he said. "We wanted to be a place where people can go get things from their childhood and get that warm, fuzzy feeling."

Anyone with information regarding these incidents is asked to contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

Press play below to watch FOX 13 News

    STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA BAY: