CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Workers at Santa Rosa camera store take down would-be robbers who turned out to be armed

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (KGO) -- With so much good gear on sale, a person has to figure that a camera store also has a top-notch video surveillance system.

At Shutterbug Camera in Santa Rosa, three robbery suspects appear to have never made the connection.

"I heard the door, saw them on the screen, and ran out calling for help as he ran out," said owner Mike Paschke as he showed us the video screens that alerted him to an armed robbery that did not go according to anyone's plans.

EXCLUSIVE: San Jose family says iCloud captured teens' weed-filled joyride in stolen BMW

"There wasn't any time to be scared," said salesman Scott Manchester, one of eight people working yesterday as suspects jumped behind the case, grabbed gear, and encountered something else they hadn't planned on.

Resistance.

Virtually every store employee blocked the front door and wrestled with suspects who, they later learned, had a gun.

"What made you challenge these guys?" we asked Paschke.

"Instinct. We're not supposed to challenge them, but it's personal for us."

The store has been robbed before.

CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Man accused of faking slip and fall at New Jersey business

Of the three suspects this time, one got away. At least one of the other two is a 14-year-old.

"That people are desperate like that. It's a shame for the kids and for society in general, I think," said salesman Jonathan Parnell.

Owner Mike Paschke suffered the only injury when a suspect bit him on the arm while trying to escape. But as business returned to normal, today, they know it could have been worse.

A lot worse.

"It was something we all did for each other."