Manager who allegedly shot would-be robbers faces charges even as prosecutor says such criminals 'should expect to be shot'

The manager of a vape shop in Delhi Township, Ohio, near Cincinnati, has been charged in connection with a deadly shooting that occurred during an alleged botched robbery.

Just after 1 a.m. on October 20, the sound of breaking glass awakened 29-year-old Tony Thacker from slumber in the back room of the VIP Smoke Shop, where he lived and worked as manager. It turns out, a group of teenagers had seemingly thrown rocks at the storefront to break the windows and gain entry into the building.

Thacker apparently came out of the back carrying a firearm and began firing at the suspects, fatally striking 16-year-old Travis Johnson. The other suspects then fled into cars some of them had allegedly stolen.

Though the suspects were leaving the scene, Thacker continued shooting at them through the front door, Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers claimed. Three of his shots allegedly struck 19-year-old Amontae Carter, who had reportedly hopped into the back seat of one of the vehicles.

After the teens sped away, Tony Thacker and his 21-year-old brother, Malachi Thacker, allegedly attempted to disable the store's surveillance system before cleaning up the shell casings, ostensibly in an effort to conceal evidence of the shooting.

In all, seven people have been charged in connection with the incident. Carter, 18-year-old Messiah Hart, and three other unnamed suspects — ages 15, 16, and 17 — have all been charged with multiple offenses, including burglary and murder. Though none of them shot and killed Johnson, all were allegedly attempting to commit a crime when he was killed, prompting the murder charge.

The underage suspects are currently awaiting bond over in the juvenile court system, Powers said.

On December 15, Carter appeared in court and was seemingly unencumbered by injury, though his attorney claimed that the three bullets that struck him narrowly missed his spine. His bond has been set at $1 million. If convicted of all charges, he faces life in prison with the possibility of parole after 15 years.

On Friday, Powers announced that both Thacker brothers would be indicted as well. The younger Thacker brother has been charged with two counts of tampering with evidence.

Tony Thacker, the store manager, also faces a charge of felony tampering with evidence. However, he faces other felony charges as well, including one for assault for the alleged attack against Carter.

"There is simply no justification for shooting at someone as they are running away," Powers said in a statement. "However, I want to make perfectly clear -- these retail thefts will not be tolerated. If you try to rob a store, you should expect to be shot."

As Tony Thacker also had a felony conviction as a juvenile and was therefore apparently not legally permitted to own a gun, he was also charged with felony illegal possession of a firearm.

Delhi Township Police Chief Jeff Braun has defended Powers' decision to charge Tony Thacker in this case. "I think Prosecutor Powers said it pretty bluntly: if you break into a business, the chances are you could be shot," he said. "People have a right to defend themselves, but also the responsibly to make sure they’re within the stand your ground statute.

"In this case, Mr. Thacker ... simply crossed the line. He was shooting at people that were fleeing in a car from the business," the police chief added.

The owner of the shop seemed to disagree, at least initially. Immediately after the shooting, the unidentified owner called 911 to report it. When the operator asked him who had shot the suspect, the owner reportedly replied, "My worker. He was protecting himself, the guy broke in the store."

Sadly, there is still more violence to report in connection with the deadly shooting at the vape shop. After Johnson's death, loved ones gathered outside the VIP Smoke Shop for a vigil in his memory. During the memorial, Johnson's 20-year-old brother, Isaiah Johnson, reportedly shot a 20-year-old woman in attendance.

On Wednesday, Isaiah Johnson was charged with felony assault. Powers' office did not immediately respond to the Daily Mail's request for comment in that case.

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