ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Police still have no suspects in a carjacking that happened in broad daylight at a South County Schnucks Tuesday.
The victims are a couple in their sixties. They were loading groceries into their car when they say a man pointed a gun at them.
But it's what happened after that, that has raised questions from many of you. Could the victim of the carjacking now face charges himself - for firing his own gun as the thief drove away?
Missouri does have a law that allows you to use your gun if you're under threat at home or in your vehicle. But that law has some very specific limits.
"We have people who come in and say 'If someone breaks into my car, I'm going to shoot them,'" said Paul Bastean, a former Police Officer and the current owner of Ultimate Defense Shooting Range.
But shooting a carjacker isn't something you should aim for if they already have your vehicle, according to Bastean.
Missouri law allows you to use deadly force for self-defense specifically in your home or in your vehicle but you can't use deadly force to protect your property.
"The law says you do not have the ability to shoot somebody for stealing property," said Bastean.
But there have been cases where victims were charged after taking their defense too far.
"The homeowner saw his vehicle being stolen, went out the front door, fired rounds at the car thief. Ended up striking him and it ended up being a fatal circumstance," said Bastean.
In the end, Bastean says the right to protect yourself shouldn't put the public at risk.
"You better be on spot, knowing that you have justified legal means to use [your gun], in addition to having the skill to be able to only hurt the person who is attempting to hurt you and not hurting the general public either," said Bastean.
It's still unclear if the victim of Tuesday's south county Schnucks carjacking will be charged for firing his weapon at the suspect. Police say the case is still under investigation.