Jeweler Gary Thrapp robbed at gun point, shot by home intruders
Thrapp expects to make full recovery
Gary Thrapp
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Posted: 09/18/2012
Last Updated:
245 days ago
INDIANAPOLIS -
He called it everyone's worst nightmare, but the robbery and shooting at the northeast-side home of jeweler Gary Thrapp was no dream.
Just after midnight Sunday morning, two masked gunmen crashed through the patio door of Thrapp's home.
"I grabbed the guy. Didn't see a gun," Thrapp said. "I started wrestling him down and then he exposed the gun."
Thrapp had overpowered one assailant until he produced a gun. The intruder fired at least three rounds. Two of them struck Thrapp in the stomach.
"At that point, it was crazy to go any further," Thrapp said. "So I just said, 'You need to get what you came for and leave.'"
Thrapp's wife Barbara was not injured during the robbery.
For 28 years, Thrapp has owned and operated a successful and upscale jewelry store in the Butler-Tarkington neighborhood. News of the shooting spread quickly throughout the business district.
"I was shocked of course, and saddened. But I understand he's coming along and he's going to be OK," said Elizabeth Perkins, with the nearby Oxford Shop.
"Gary is just a wonderful person. He is a business associate. I've known him for 20-some years," said Dave Rollins, with Kincaid's Meat Market.
The intruders escaped with an undisclosed amount of jewelry.
For Thrapp, the questions linger. Did his assailants know the store? Did they follow him home? Was it a random attack or will it happen again?
"I don't think we'll ever find that out," Thrapp said. "So why beat yourself up over it? Why not just go on?"
Thrapp expects to make a full recovery from his injuries. The store reopens Tuesday.
Metro police have kept silent on any possible leads or suspects in the case.
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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