Contractor, 56, is 'scared to DEATH' as two men threaten him with a gun as they rob the Culver's restaurant where he was working

  • The man, who has not been identified, was one of four workers inside the store 
  • Two robbers made their way inside about 3am on Tuesday for the armed hold-up
  • One worker was made to search for the safe, while others were held at gunpoint
  • The 56-year-old suffered a 'medical emergency' and collapsed during that time
  • The robbers did not let his co-contractors help him or call 911 until they had left 
  • The restaurant had been closed for the night because of a staff members picnic 

By DAILYMAIL.COM REPORTER

Published: | Updated:

A 56-year-old worker has died after suffering a 'medical emergency' while being held a gunpoint during an armed robbery.

The man, who has not been identified, was one of four contractors working at a Culver's in Madison, Wisconsin, when two armed men entered the restaurant about 3am on Tuesday.

The robbers made one of the workers search for the safe for about an hour, and then open it after it was discovered. The other three were made to stand still with a gun pointed at them the entire time, the Wisconsin State Journal reports.  

Two investigators are seen outside a Culver's store a man died while being held at gunpoint during an armed robbery

Two investigators are seen outside a Culver's store a man died while being held at gunpoint during an armed robbery

Police said after the 56-year-old collapsed from what is believed to be a heart attack, the robbers did not allow his co-workers to help him or call 911.

Madison police told reporters they were shocked by the brazen robbery that resulted in the man's death.

'There was a certain vileness, a certain despicably about the whole thing because... you had an instance where the victim was scared to the point of death,' police chief Mike Koval said. 

'(The robbers) allowed the man to languish and subsequently to die while they handed themselves the greater priority of getting into the safe and getting the filthy lucre, or what I call blood money, and then left.

A 56-year-old worker died after suffered a 'medical emergency' in the store on Tuesday morning. POlice are seen outside the Culver's on June 27

A 56-year-old worker died after suffered a 'medical emergency' in the store on Tuesday morning. POlice are seen outside the Culver's on June 27

Two investigators walk away from the Culver's in Madison, Wisconsin, after speaking to people about the death of a contractor while he was held hostage on Tuesday morning during a robbery

Two investigators walk away from the Culver's in Madison, Wisconsin, after speaking to people about the death of a contractor while he was held hostage on Tuesday morning during a robbery

'It wasn’t until after they left that (the others) felt they had a sufficient margin of safety and were comfortable enough to call 911.' 

'There was a certain vileness, a certain despicably about the whole thing because... you had an instance where the victim was scared to the point of death,' police chief Mike Koval said

'There was a certain vileness, a certain despicably about the whole thing because... you had an instance where the victim was scared to the point of death,' police chief Mike Koval said

Koval added the 56-year-old's official cause of death has not yet been confirmed by a coroner, but he believed it could be considered a felony murder.

'It couldn’t be clearer... Whoever causes the death of another human being while committing or attempting to commit a crime, that’s a significant felony. The state needs only to prove that the defendant’s conduct was a substantial factor toward that end,' he told the State Journal. 

The other three contractors were aged 22, 33 and 34.

Police only released limited descriptions of the two robbers, described them both as black men - one aged in his 20s or 30s and another in his early 20s.

Police added they believe it as appears as though the robbery were aware of patterns regarding the store's hours, which were changed on Monday night so staff members could attend a picnic together. As a result, it was just the contractors inside overnight. 

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