David Pirkola, owner of Apparitions Comics and Books in Kentwood, MI wasshot in a a robbery on Friday evening . Pirkola is in critical but stable condition. According to the police, a man entered the store abut 7 pm, demanded money, shot Pirkola and fled.
The police are still investigating the crime, and anyone with information is urged to contact them.
Ifanboy has set up a fundraising drive to raise money to help with keeping the store open. The Bendis board has also rallied.
UPDATE: More on efforts to help Pirkola:
“This isn’t something you do to get rich,” said Peter Ryan, who is one of the partners in the Kentwood store as well as another store in Lansing.
He said most comic book store owners are fans who turned their love of the medium into a business, but one that operates with tight margins. It is a job that rarely comes with perks like comprehensive health plans, so an Internet site has been set up to collect money to be used for health costs and also to help Pirkola keep the store open.
On comic book-related Web sites, word of the robbery has been passed nationwide. Ronald Richards, of San Francisco, offered to use his comic book Web site as a host site for the account set up for Pirkola.
I love that the community looks out for their own. We’re in this together. Kudos to Ron Richards!
it’s a shame. sounds like either something personal, or some sort of gang initiation ritual or something.
definitely gonna help with a donation.
I’m familiar with the store and the neighborhood and I don’t see any reason to think it’s personal or gang-related. The news reports make it sound like some idiot with a gun looking for cash, showing up at closing time at a store that’s (unfortunately) concealed from view of the street. It’s near one of the big local shopping malls, on the edge of a middle-class residential neighborhood, so it’s hardly a hotbed of gang activity.
thanks for the info Todd, any more info as it comes in is appreciated.