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Retired Marine Shot Outside Miami Gardens Home

MIAMI (CBS4) - A retired U.S. Marine is recovering in the hospital after he was shot over a gold chain in front of his Miami Gardens home.

Family identified the victim as 64-year-old Robert Outler, a veteran who served two tours of duty in Vietnam.

Outler's wife, Mia, said the family lives part time in South Florida and part time in Georgia and are here for the holidays. She told CBS4 her husband could not sleep Monday night and went out.

When he got back to their home at 159th Street and 22nd Court around 2am Tuesday morning, she said her husband was ambushed by an armed robber.

"I heard the shot and came outside," said Mia. "I just seen him rocking back and forth so I put a towel over him and when I open I saw the bullet holes, two bullet holes."

She said Robert was shot once in the shoulder and is expected to be okay.

"He was coming home, the guy approached him with a gun in his face, tried to rob him," said Ken Outler, the victim's brother.

"It's crazy," said Outler's son. He said his father was trying to fight off the robber when he was shot.

"He hit his [the robbers] arm away, he went one way, the guy went the other way, while the guy was running away he shot him. It went through his shoulder, came out of his chest."

Outler's family said a second man was waiting in a white getaway car. The robbers reportedly got away with a gold chain and two gold medallions.

"It's just sad, innocent people getting hurt over what, a chain? Its not worth it," said neighbor Cynthia Hall.

Outler was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital where he is stable.

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