Botched Weed Robbery Leads to Shootout With Suspect Wearing a Gas Mask

​A man wearing a gas mask was involved in a shooting in Mesa early this morning during what appears to be a botched weed robbery.

According to Mesa police, about 1 a.m. today, a Mesa cop made a traffic stop in the 600 block of South Mesa Drive. The driver, whose name is being withheld, forgot to turn his lights on -- which seems like an easy thing to forget if you've just been shot, which he had.
 
The driver immediately stopped the car, jumped out of the driver's seat, and showed the officer a bullet hole in his wrist.

The investigation into the robbery revealed that the driver and a passenger in the car had been at an apartment at 448 South Mesa Drive when three men, one of whom was wearing a gas mask, forced their way into the home.

Meanwhile, one of the victims was waiting in a bedroom with a handgun. When one of the robbers entered the bedroom, the victim fired at him. The suspect returned fire and immediately fled the apartment on foot -- but not before the masked trio of thugs robbed about $600 from one of the victims.

While talking to detectives following the shooting, the victims admitted they had about two pounds of weed in the apartment, and people knew about it.

The three suspects are described as black men, each of whom was wearing some sort of mask. One of the suspects has a tattoo near his right eye and partially braided hair.

Mesa Police Department spokesman Steve Berry didn't immediately respond to our email asking whether the two victims have been charged with any crimes for the weed in the apartment. We'll let you know if he gets back to us.

Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call the Mesa Police Department.