"It scared the C___ out of me that there could be a gun in the store."

[W9ZEB]

Man with knife assaults and cuts two Wal-Mart employees. Gets smart and drops the knife when a 5'3" grandmother presents a .40 caliber hand gun.

Shoppers more afraid of the grandmother with gun than psycho with knife.

Doing Freedom 'zine: Vin Suprynowicz

[nighthawk80]

She went form hero to "Situation Escalater" in 5.8 seconds. She should of been just like everyone else, just stand back and watch the BG slice up the employee and then give her statements when the cops arrive.

"That scared the c--- out of me, that someone could have a gun in the store,' said Smith of Hernando Beach. 'This one lady was in there with her children and when she saw (the gun) she was like, "Get on the ground! Get on the ground!" If I was there with my kids, I would have had a heart attack.

I guess it less horrible to have your kids watch a BG cut someone up and watch them die, then to have a 53 year old lady protect herself and others.

[Feign]

People are stupid.

[W9ZEB]

That article clearly was written with an Anti-Gun slant.

The story dates back to 2000, making it 8 years old. Regardless there are lessons to be learned. For instance. Did the concerned citizen keep her distance from the knife wielding psycho, or did she put herself in harms way when she drew her weapon.

Would you have reacted differently? If so how would you have reacted differently?

In Indiana, shooting the psycho with the knife would most likely have been determined a good shoot. He had already wounded two people and was clearly armed. Would that have been necessary? Would simple CA have been enough to have stopped this from going any further?

Stories are great, but only if you think about the situation and what might have been done different/better/worse and learn from them.

[jontheturboguy]

Originally Posted by Communist Walmart guy says...

"We want to keep our stores a pleasant place to shop, so we would never encourage our customers to arm themselves,' said Wal-Mart spokesman Tom Williams. ..."

A person with a brain hears...

"We want to make sure you are unarmed so you can't defend yourself and we can play nanny for you."

[AFA1CY]

"Spokesmen for the Hernando County Sheriff's Office and Wal-Mart advise civilians not to get involved in such situations. 'We want to keep our stores a pleasant place to shop, so we would never encourage our customers to arm themselves,' said Wal-Mart spokesman Tom Williams."



A knife welding criminal really makes it a pleasant place.

[indyjoe]

Please let the bad man cut you like good little sheeple. We promise to file some paperwork about it after you are dead.

[pmpmstrb]

I open carry all the time in the Brownsburg and Avon Wally Worlds. No problems yet. Maybe from now on I'll leave it in the car and let them protect me since they say I don't need it.

[Pami]

Originally Posted by W9ZEB

Would you have reacted differently? If so how would you have reacted differently?

....

Stories are great, but only if you think about the situation and what might have been done different/better/worse and learn from them.

I think Lars is looking for discussions on how you would have reacted if you were in this situation (I came to that conclusion partially based on things he said to me in person, and partially due to the age of this particular article). So with that in mind...

I think there are several things that I would have to know before being able to fully answer that question. Such as: were the Walmart employees subduing the thief-turned-knife-wielding-psycho before she pulled the gun out, or were they badly losing and she felt the need to help them? Were the two employees who had been cut badly hurt, or were they just scratched and enraged?

She made the comment that she thought she would never have to pull the gun out of her purse except when she goes to the range, so I would assume she felt the situation was too much to handle for the employees. Since they must have been unarmed, and she was capable, she felt the need to protect them before someone was seriously injured. Even if she never intended to actually fire the weapon, it was enough to make the BG stop what he was doing and let himself be apprehended.

If those assumptions are accurate, and I were in the same situation, and nobody else was doing anything to help, then yes, rather than be an innocent witness who could have been next in line for the BG's sharp blade, I would *like* to say I would have done what she did and tried to calmly defuse the situation. She did well by starting out with the comment "I have a concealed weapons permit." She at least made the attempt to let those within earshot know that she was legally able to carry a gun, and by doing so, implied that she wanted to help stop the BG.

What would you have done?

[RogerB]

Originally Posted by Pami

What would you have done?

Well...if I were dressed like a grandma and carrying a purse I think I would have bigger issues at stake.

Seriously though I would basically agree with Pami. If the employee's or anyone else for that matter were not making headway on stopping the BG....then I would hope, or like to think, that I could draw his attention to myself and stop him. Either by just the show of my concealed headed in his direction or the actual use of it. (which ever works, its his call)

I would hope that by ending it with myself, that if it went to court that would be considered.

Just my two pennies worth.... Next!

opcorn2: