Security guard attacked, fireworks tent targeted in armed robbery in Spring Hill
SPRING HILL, Kan. July 4 2019— Spring Hill police are investigating an armed robbery that happened at a fireworks tent early Monday morning. A security guard was also beaten.
According to police, it happened at the 18700 block of South 169 Highway. Skyler Schimmel said he was helping a friend by working the overnight security shift.
“I was in the tent, making sure no one was stealing,” Schimmel said. “I was up all night watching TV on my laptop. Didn’t hear nobody come in. I looked up. There they were. Had a gun pointed right at me. One of them said ‘Don’t move,’ and I just froze.”
Spring Hill police say two men stole fireworks from the tent, along with Schimmel’s Bluetooth speaker, phone and laptop.
“They basically knocked me out,” Schimmel said.
He got help at a nearby construction site and went to the hospital.
“When they hit, they busted a bone right here where I can’t blow my nose or breathe,” Schimmel said.
Schimmel’s father and stepmother said it’s hard to take what happened to their son.
“He helps everyone in this town,” Valerie Peters said. “He doesn’t ask for anything. That’s the main reason he went to help out a friend of ours who was doing it for the first time. Not just to help him but to try to help us out financially.”
Peters said Schimmel bought a generator for their family with the money he earned. The family has been without electricity for about two months.
Less than a week ago, police caught thieves trying to steal fireworks from a tent in Independence.
“We didn’t want this to happen to him and we didn’t think it would,” Peters said. “We’ve done security at other fireworks stands in Missouri, and nothing like this ever happened.”
If you know anything about the robbery and assault, call Spring Hill police or the anonymous TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.
fox4kc.com
