California business owner shoots 3 would-be robbers, 2 fatally, in gunfire exchange

DOWNEY, Calif. -- The owner of a car audio store in Downey, California, shot three armed would-be robbers, two of them fatally, in a gunfire exchange on Monday evening, authorities said.

Officers arrived to find two men dead inside First Class Car Audio.

"All I heard was gunshots -- about nine or 10 gunshots," said a man who declined to publicly be identified.

Another man said: "Everybody in the neighborhood thought it was fireworks. Nobody didn't really pay it no attention until we see the police and everything."

According to investigators, the third suspect had transported himself to a hospital and is expected to survive. He was being questioned by detectives on Tuesday.

"That's the store owner trying to protect his business," the second witness said. "He got a family and, you know, people trying to take away his business where he work hard for it. That's not right."

The owner of the business was not injured in the shootout. The two deceased men were not immediately identified.

The investigation continues and several weapons were recovered from the scene.