LeBron Shoe Shooting: Atlanta Man Shot, Killed After Attempted Robbery Of LeBron James 'X EXT Denim' Sneaker Customers

Sneaker Line Shooting — An unidentified Atlanta man was shot and killed after attempting to rob a line of customers who were waiting to buy LeBron James' new X EXT Denim shoes. WSB-TV

An unidentified man was fatally shot in Atlanta on Saturday after attempting to rob a group of people who were waiting in line to buy $180 LeBron James sneakers.

The shooting took place in Atlanta’s Little Five Points district at around 5:30 a.m. Saturday morning, CNN reports. More than two dozen customers were waiting in line outside of a shoe store to buy the $180 LeBron X EXT Denim sneaker, the same shoes that James wore during the Miami Heat’s NBA championship run.

According to police, an unnamed man approached the group of customers with a gun and attempted a mass robbery. However, one of the customers was carrying a gun of his own, fatally shooting the would-be robber in what has been described as “self-defense,” Atlanta police spokesman Carlos Campos told local CNN affiliate WSB-TV. "A number of witnesses were interviewed, and this appears to be self-defense," Campos said.

Campos added that the customer, who has yet to be identified, will not face criminal charges. The customer reportedly carried a concealed carry permit, the New York Daily News reports.

A second customer, Taylor White, described the shooting to WSB-TV. White, a LeBron sneaker enthusiast, had been waiting in line since last Monday.

"I didn't even expect him to come up here, thinking it was that sweet. Thinking it's that candy land like that," White told WSB-TV. "He wanted to pickpocket everybody. But people out here -- they weren't going for none of that."

White also expressed his gratitude to the man who defended the LeBron sneaker customers from the attempted robbery. “He really stood up for all of us,” White told WSB-TV. “I salute the homie that did that.”

The LeBron X EXT Denim sneakers may cost $180, but they had no shortage of customers in Atlanta. By 11:30 a.m. Saturday, a group of 45 people had queued outside of the Little Five Points shoe store, WSB-TV reports. The LeBron X EXT Denim was released at noon that day and sold out just two hours later.