LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (CNN) – A trip to the grocery turns into a stand-off when a shopper decides to take the law into his own hands.

The gunman did not want to be identified so he said to call him Gene. Gene says he had two options – ignore the surrounded elderly man or do something he thought he’d never have to.

“I was freaking out. I was shaking,” Gene said of the encounter.

The 24-year-old says when he was leaving the grocery store he saw something he couldn’t ignore – seven people surrounding one person.

“It did not look like good odds,” Gene said.

The out-numbered man was elderly so Gene felt obligated to get involved – he drew his gun.

“They (the attackers) kept yelling this isn’t your fight, you need to walk away you need to put the gun down,” Gene said.

While all that was happening, shoppers pulled out their cell phones to call police and record the encounter.

By the time police arrived, the attackers and the victim took off. Turns out they were all related, police say the man was an uncle being assaulted by his nephew.

Many shoppers interviewed after the incident had opinions about Gene’s actions.

“I would have done the same thing,” said one customer.

“The guy did the right thing,” said another shopper.

Gene says he’s been carrying legally for years and is glad he’s never had to draw his weapon before, but admits if he was in this scenario again, his actions would be the same

“If you see a crime happening and you see someone getting injured and you have the ability to stop you should,” Gene said.

Gene says he never had the idea of shooting anyone, and he made sure to keep his finger away from the trigger. Although bleeding from the face, the uncle did not want to file any charges against his nephew according to police.