Columbus police say that the intended victim of a robbery pulled a gun and shot his would-be robber in the parking lot of the Carousel Lounge Monday night.

The suspect, identified by police as 29-year-old Carlos Terrell Alexander, of Columbus, approached his victim around 9:45 p.m. The man was sitting in a car in the parking lot of the club at 3003 Victory Drive, said Lt. Ronald Hastings.

“The victim pulled out a pistol, shot the suspect,” Hastings added. “The victim of the robbery itself was not arrested. He was defending himself.”

Alexander was struck once in the abdomen. He was taken to The Medical Center, where he remains under guard with pending charges of attempted armed robbery, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, Hastings said.

Monday’s shooting was the second time in about as many weeks that a bystander has shot and wounded a suspect. On Nov. 13, a customer at Circle K, 2514 Manchester Expressway, shot one of two suspects as they tried to rob the store.

Hastings said police had no intentions of charging that shooter in that incident with any crime.