Explosion rocks firearms store

Josey1

Explosion rocks firearms storeBy Shelly Whitehead and Jeanne Houck, Post staff reportersThree days ago, two Covington store owners had their world shattered when one of them killed a would-be robber in a shootout. Wednesday, as the two went to buy another weapon to protect themselves, they were among five people literally blown out of a Newport military surplus store by a freak explosion. This morning, federal, state and local fire investigators met to determine the source of Wednesday afternoon's explosion at the Land Sea & Air Surplus store on Monmouth Street near the Newport Shopping Center. Four of the five people in the firearms dealership at the time of the blast were taken to the hospital, including the store owner, Karen Embs. She is in good condition this morning at St. Luke East Hospital in Fort Thomas. Another customer, Darrell Johnson, was in fair condition at the hospital today.Two other men in the store, Khader and Basem Sbeih, were treated for injuries and released, officials said. The two men own the Covington Deli-Mart store at 12th and Lee Streets, where Covington police say one of the men killed a robber who'd started shooting at them.This morning, one of the Sbeihs' relatives said the two men had gone to the Newport firearms store Wednesday to buy another gun because Covington police had taken their weapon as evidence after Monday's shooting. The Sbeihs' relative said the men wanted to purchase another firearm before reopening the store because they feared further violence.Newport Fire Chief Larry Atwell said Sbeihs were in the process of buying that new gun when the accident occurred that set off Wednesday's explosion.''My understanding is the two Covington men had purchased the weapon and the store's owner went to get a holster for it,'' said Atwell.''A third customer there who had his own gun that he had a permit to carry was showing them something with it. He was taking the shells out of the chamber when it apparently jammed and in the process, it fired.''The mystery today for investigators is what that round hit to set of the explosion and fire that sent plumes of acrid, opaque smoke pouring from the business, accompanied by rapid-fire ''pops'' as fire reached stored ammunition.Park Hills resident Marti Hames was the only customer in the store not injured in the blast. Wednesday she sat on a set of steps watching smoke pour out of the store, her shoulders still sprinkled with debris and her ears still ''plugged'' from the blast.''The one was a real loud explosion and it knocked me down on the floor,'' said Ms. Hames, who had gone to the store to buy some outdoor cookware for her son.''I got up and then there was another little explosion when I was heading out the door. But I saw men bleeding - one pretty bad - and the other three with specks of blood all over them.''Newport police spokesman Lt. Phil Liles said neither police nor fire investigators believe the explosion was intentionally triggered.''There wasn't a lot of live ammo in there ... and there was no black powder so it wasn't triggered by that either,'' Liles said.A company Website says that Land Sea & Air Surplus sells a variety of firearms from AK-47 assault rifles to 9mm Glock pistols. The business also sells military surplus and law enforcement clothing as well as paint ball game gear.Neither Khader or Basem Sbeih could be reached .And in another cruel twist for Ms. Hames, the store did not sell the cookware she hoped to buy as a surprise for her son either. She thought about that Wednesday afternoon as she sat rattled and worried about the condition of her charred car, one of three vehicles damaged in the parking lot in front of the store.''My son told me to go to Dry Ridge to get the skillet,'' she said glumly http://www.kypost.com/2001/nov/15/arms111501.html