Mother of armed robber shot dead by man defending his children: 'Why did he shoot him five times?

After an armed man entered a Popeye's restaurant in San Antonio last month and reportedly pointed a gun at a customer's children, that customer — a licensed concealed carrier — shot the gunman dead.

But now the mother of the deceased 19-year-old gunman is asking why the father who fatally shot her son chose to fire more than once.

While Cynthia Ruiz acknowledged her son, Andrew Herrera, deserved to be punished and that the dad who shot him was defending his family, she shared a lingering question with KSAT-TV: “Why shoot him four more times? Why did he shoot him five times?”

Image source: KSAT-TV video screenshot

Ruiz added to the station that she wants to see surveillance video, but police last week wouldn't confirm to KSAT if a video exists.

What led to the fatal shooting?

During the Dec. 6 incident, the gunman demanded money from the dad inside the restaurant, KABB-TV reported — but the father said he wasn’t giving him anything, Police Sgt. Roy Miller told the Express-News.

The robber turned to the employees to try to rob them, and police told KSAT-TV in an earlier story the employees all ran out the back of the restaurant.

The dad asked the gunman if his family could leave, and when the robber agreed, the mom and two of their children exited the restaurant — but two of the family’s other children were still in the restroom, KABB-TV reported.

But when the robber saw the two children walk out of the restroom and pointed his gun at them, Dad fired his own gun and killed the robber, KABB reported.

What did police say after the fatal shooting?

“The citizen is a licensed carrier and did use his handgun to take down the robber,” Police Capt. Michael Starnes told the Express-News, adding that the father isn’t facing any charges.

Image source: KABB-TV video screenshot

“He really saved the day and protected a lot of people today,” Starnes told the paper.

What else is the mother of the dead gunman saying?

Ruiz said a second suspect — the alleged getaway driver told her that her son's gun "wasn’t even loaded," KSAT reported, adding that police wouldn't confirm the claim.

Image source: KSAT-TV video screenshot

The gunman's mother — who is also a widow — also told the station that her son had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder as a child and with schizophrenia in 2016.

Three weeks before the shooting Herrera stopped taking his medications, Ruiz told KSAT.

“What is life? Being on medicine all the time and I’m sleeping?" Ruiz recalled to the station her son asking her. "I’m missing life.”

Soon after Herrera, who didn't have a job, started bringing home money, the station said — and police told KSAT they believe he was involved with other robberies.

“If you have money from whatever you’re doing, you can take that money and find a place to live,” Ruiz told the station she told her son.

(H/T: Blue Lives Matter)