It’s often said that when seconds count, the police are only minutes away. The decision to take charge of one’s own safety is a major responsibility, to be sure—but in exchange, those who exercise their right to carry, such as the armed citizens in the stories below, gain the assurance that they’ll be prepared to step in should danger present itself.
A Right-to-Carry permit holder was at the end of a driveway in a neighborhood in Brooklyn Park, Minn., when he was approached by an armed robber who demanded money. The permit holder responded by drawing a gun and exchanging fire with the thief. During the exchange the robber was fatally wounded. There were several witnesses to the incident and police have stated that it appears to them it was a valid act of self-defense. Following the incident, state Representative Pat Garofalo commented to a media outlet about the importance of Right-to-Carry, stating, “A loss of life is a tragedy … But when a criminal pulls a gun, they risk ending their life. Concealed carry works.” (Minneapolis Star Tribune, Minneapolis, Minn., 2/24/2016; KSTP, Minneapolis, Minn., 2/23/2016)
A pair of men armed with handguns entered a T-Mobile store in Chicago, Ill., in an attempt to rob the establishment. One employee, a Right-to-Carry permit holder, responded to the threat by drawing a gun and firing at the robbers, striking both and causing them to flee. A short time later, police caught up with the thieves when they sought medical treatment for their wounds. Store manager Neil Tadros expressed support for his employee following the incident, telling a local media outlet, “I think concealed carry is a great opportunity for managers, workers, employees to protect themselves in these cases. And our employee did a great job to protect themselves and the other employee.” The Chicago Tribune reported that Tadros had further praise for Illinois’ relatively new Right-to-Carry law, stating, “It’s a great thing to have [in order to] protect yourself even when you’re not in your business. If you’re out in the streets and someone is threatening your life, you can go out and protect yourself.” (WLS-TV, Chicago, Ill., 1/13/2016; Chicago Tribune, Chicago, Ill., 1/14/2016)
"Guns are rarely used to kill criminals or stop crimes," claims the Violence Policy Center (VPC), led by longtime handgun-ban advocate Josh Sugarmann, formerly of the National Coalition to Ban Handguns. However, that's something the anti-gun group probably would have a hard time convincing former CNN Headline News anchor Lynne Russell and husband Chuck de Caro to believe. Tuesday night, Russell and de Caro, both carry permit holders, were attacked in their motel room during a robbery that turned into a gunfight. The anti-gun Washington Post reported that as de Caro tried to reason with the robber, Russell handed her purse to her husband, with a handgun concealed inside. When the robber opened fire, de Caro, an Army veteran, did so as well. "My husband returned fire," Russell said. "And he's a better shot." While de Caro was struck three times, the robber was killed. Fortunately, de Caro, whom Russell called her "hero," is recovering from his wounds. The VPC? Perhaps not so easily. De Caro's and Russell's use of a firearm to stop a crime is just another example that should give pause to anyone inclined to think there's even a shred of truth in what the VPC says. (CNN, Albuquerque, N.M., 7/3/2015)
What police are calling a fight in Oceanside, Calif., escalated when one man stabbed another man with a large knife. The attack was witnessed by several people in a nearby restaurant, some of whom rushed to the scene to help the victim. One of these witnesses, a concealed-carry permit holder, drew his gun, halted the knife-wielding criminal’s attack, and held the attacker until police could arrive. Unfortunately, the victim succumbed to his wounds a short time later. (The San Diego Union-Tribune, San Diego, Calif., 5/2/2013)
A man was eating his lunch on a bench in Wooster Square Park in New Haven, Conn., when a robber armed with a knife approached and ordered, “Give me all your money, or I’ll stab you.” The man, a 65-year-old concealed-carry permit holder, drew his gun and shot the robber. The robber was taken to a local hospital and is expected to survive. The concealed-carry permit holder was interviewed by police, then released. (The Hartford Courant, Hartford, Conn., 4/27/2010)
A 61-year-old concealed-carry permit holder was walking home from a store in Rochester, N.Y., when two men, one armed with a knife, attempted to rob him. The permit holder drew his gun and fired, scaring off the criminals. Neither the suspects nor the permit holder were injured during the incident. (The Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester, N.Y., 4/22/2010; WHAM, Rochester, N.Y., 4/2/2010)
Upon witnessing a man yelling at a woman and pushing her into a van, a passerby tried to be a Good Samaritan. Police say he asked the woman if she was okay and told her she didn't have to get into the man's vehicle. While stopped at a traffic light moments later, the van's driver confronted the man. Both men exited their vehicles, and the van's driver knocked the Good Samaritan to the ground. Two women, including the woman the victim tried to help, exited the van and began stomping on him. A passing motorist witnessed the scene and quickly stopped. He drew a firearm and ordered the three suspects to halt the beating. Police received reports of a man holding people at gunpoint, but quickly determined he had a concealed-carry permit and arrested the three suspects. (Ann Arbor News, Ann Arbor, Mich., 2/14/2008)
Kansas' concealed-carry law took effect Jan. 1, 2007. On January 19, two armed men burst into a gas station owned by Dean Yee. According to police, they twice demanded money from Yee while holding him at gunpoint. A customer inside the store, however, had a concealed-carry permit. He shouted for the robbers to drop their weapons. When they refused, he shot one suspect before the other fled. Station owner Yee feels lucky to be alive. "I would have been shot in the chest," he told 27 News. Kansas Sen. Phil Journey, (R-Haysville) added, “Hopefully this will put other criminals and thugs on notice that Kansas is a different state today than it was just 20 days ago.” (The Topeka Capital Journal, Topeka, Kan., 1/23/2007)
Ice-cream vendor Christopher Sanders, who has a concealed-carry permit, told police he was selling in his usual territory when a man flagged him down and asked for a ride. When Sanders told him "no," the man allegedly tried to open the van’s sliding door, which was locked, and then tried to reach in an open window on the passenger side. Sanders grabbed a handgun from behind a seat, pointed it at the alleged perpetrator and told him to get his hands out of the vehicle. The man uttered an expletive and left while Sanders phoned police. As Sanders waited for an officer to arrive, the man returned and walked toward him with his hands in his pockets. Police say Sanders yelled at the man to show his hands, and two witnesses saw the suspect throw a knife on the ground. The alleged criminal was found by police, arrested on suspicion of robbery and booked for a previously issued misdemeanor warrant. (The Columbian, Vancouver, Wash., 9/7/2005)
