Pizza delivery driver thankful to be alive after robbery attempt

MESQUITE, Texas - A Dominos delivery driver who came face to face with a gun during a robbery last weekend said he's thankful to be alive but is sad that one of the teens died.

Two teenagers tried to rob David Gerber at gunpoint as he delivered a pizza in Mesquite on Saturday night. One teen fired a warning shot at Gerber, but he was armed too and fired back and killed one of the would-be robbers.

"I see it over and over again in my head again, a lot," Gerber said in an exclusive interview with FOX4. "I got to see my wife and my son. With this kid, he's not. I just can't imagine what this kid, what his mom's going through."

Gerber said he's an Air Force vet and was medically discharged in 2001. He's worked all kinds of jobs over the years to pay the bills, most recently taking a job at Dominos.

Gerber was working late Saturday night delivering pizzas when he got an order from a home on Springwood Drive. Police later learned that house was vacant and the order was an apparent setup.

"This young man stepped out into the doorway, there was no lights on in the house, stepped out in the doorway with a gun to my face. He said give me everything," Gerber said.

At first, Gerber thought it was a prank. Then one of the robbers fired.

"The guy with the gun shot like that. At that point it became perfectly clear the next one he shot was going to be me," Gerber said.

But Gerber was armed too. He's had a permit to carry on and off since 2001, recently getting one in 2012 from Arizona because it was cheaper and easier. Police say the permit it is honored here in Texas.

Gerber says he fired twice, ran back to his truck and called 911 as the robbers ran back into the house.

It wasn't until hours later being questioned by police he finally learned one of the robbers - identified by the Dallas county medical examiner as 16-year old Wayne Osborne - had died.

"That really hit me hard when he told me that. Because up until that point, I just hoped he was going to be okay," Gerber said. "I know I was only doing what was necessary to protect my life, but it breaks my heart someone had to die."

Gerber says Dominos is paying for him to go see a counselor and will give him two weeks base pay but is not allowed to go back to work until the investigation and grand jury are over. He said he's still unsure if he will return to his job delivering pizzas.

A GoFundMe account has been set up for Gerber to help with funds.

Police are investigating several other similar robberies that may be linked to the same suspects in the case.