Photo credit: www.cbsnews.com
A British indie-rock band faced a troubling start to their U.S. tour when armed robbers targeted their van while they stopped for coffee at a Starbucks in Vallejo, California. The incident occurred early Tuesday morning, just as they were launching their tour.
The band, known as Sports Team, documented the robbery on their Instagram page. Footage captured the tense moments as band members rushed to intervene when an individual alerted them about a theft in progress. The bystander recorded a suspect removing items from their van and yelled for help.
The robbery took place at the Starbucks and gas station on Lincoln Rd. West in Vallejo. In a message accompanying the video, the band recounted the alarming experience: “Just been robbed at gun point 10 minutes into the US tour,” they wrote. “Stopped for coffee. Man runs in saying some guys are smashing into a van. Ran out to try to stop it and find masked guys ransacking the van. Start yelling, and they pull out a gun.”
In the shocking video, a robber can be seen with a firearm, reportedly threatening the tour manager. Members of the band quickly retreated into the coffee shop, where onlookers urged others to stay inside for safety. As the robbers made off with various items, the victims expressed their distress, mentioning stolen bags and a laptop.
According to BBC reports, the band suffered significant losses, including passports, stage gear, and personal items, all taken during the robbery which occurred around 8:45 a.m.
Originally, Sports Team was set to commence their U.S. tour with a show in San Francisco on Monday night, but due to a flight cancellation from the UK, that performance was postponed to Saturday evening at the Chapel. Instead, the band aimed to start with an all-ages concert on Tuesday night at the Goldfield Trading Post in Sacramento, their intended destination when the robbery occurred.
After the incident, the band tweeted, mentioning the police response: “Police response was ‘submit an online report.’ Lost a lot of personal gear, but they didn’t get the instruments, so driving on to Sacramento to play tonight.” Meanwhile, CBS News Bay Area reached out to the Vallejo Police Department for insights on the incident but has yet to receive a response.
While they attempted to maintain a lighthearted tone in their post, the band expressed a sense of disbelief at the situation. “In all seriousness, pretty shocking how resigned everyone seemed to be to it. ‘It happens,'” they concluded. “9 am at some petrol station Starbucks. Wild.”
More from CBS News
Source
www.cbsnews.com