+1 for Gus, "three 21-year-olds and a 29-year-old - came prepared with a pistol and plastic handcuffs" 2 had prior records or assault, robbery, and weapons possession, I guarantee that if those 4 GROWN men were at their home and the police came to arrest them they would treat ALL of them as armed. If I saw 4 men trying to rob me and they had plastic handcuffs, and one of my employees was a women?! I'd fear for her safety and the chance they might kidnap or violate her, I wouldn't hesitate to shoot.
[the] "29 and had been arrested for gun possession in Queens last year and was the nephew of a police officer." Maybe this is one of the reasons they are pursuing it so hard?
Also there is a police station just around the block, and Gus said he had been robbed several times before, if living close to a police station isn't safe, protecting yourself and your coworkers and lively hood really does fall unto you. Oh and I think PG is the best option for a store owner, easy to just stash it under the register, rarley use, not doing anything like skeet shooting or target practice, it's intimidating and quick to deploy with out banging into his merchandise.