Virginia Gun Owners Forum - VGOF

Man Attacked In Walmart Won’t Open Carry Again

By Bob Owens

I’m going to probably shock those who have bought into certain stereotypes of gun owners, but I’m a firm believer in the idea that the best defensive gun uses are those where the law-abiding citizens isn’t forced to pull the trigger of his weapon. Being forced to shoot means that your situational awareness has failed, your defensive measures have failed, and you have no good options left.

We’ve very fortunate that the overwhelming majority of gun owners who have been forced to pull a firearm in self-defense have not had to fire a shot.

A Bearing Arms reader in Yakima, Washington, had such a “good” defensive gun use in the sporting goods aisle of the local Walmart in front of his children in a story that we mentioned yesterday.

A 32-year-old man who was shopping with at least three children at a Yakima Wal-Mart was the victim of an unprovoked assault when a stranger picked up a metal tee-ball bat and struck him, according to Yakima police.

The victim was not injured, but he did have a concealed weapons permit, which he immediately put to use, police said.

A store security officer reported hearing a man in the sporting goods department yelling “Get on the ground!” and found one man pointing a pistol at another, who was lying on the floor.

Police arrived a short time later and arrested the 30-year-old suspect, who remains in Yakima County jail in lieu of $30,000 bail set Monday.

We talked with Mr. Walker just a short time ago.

Mr. Walker typically conceals his full-size carry pistols, but decided to leave his jacket in the trunk on what he expected to be a quick trip with his three older boys for a batting helmet, some baseballs to toss around the yard, and a few other items. As he was helping his sons find a batting helmet that fit, he noticed a disheveled man come down the aisle and made eye contact with him several times.

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My Thought:
Amazing restraint on the part of the gun owner who was attacked by a bat-wielding psycho. This is exactly why I don’t open carry, I don't want ANYONE to know that I have a gun. Period.

There are an estimated 160,000,000 to 200,000,000 gun owners in America. Only an estimated 8,000,000 have a conceal carry permit. For 96% of gun owners, CC is not an option.

MarcSpaz wrote:There are an estimated 160,000,000 to 200,000,000 gun owners in America. Only an estimated 8,000,000 have a conceal carry permit. For 96% of gun owners, CC is not an option.

That's something that is fairly easily remedied for a large percentage of gun owners.

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I prefer being a "grey man" silently concealed carrying. I'm 74 years old and know I am no longer able to physically defend myself to any great degree. There's no sense in provoking anyone especially some big oaf that simply wants my piece. If he doesn't know I have it then I likely won't be bothered.

"GREYMAN", EXACTLY!

Keep telling people, "...leave no wake..." Make no waves, simply do your business, be observant, and go away before anyone even knows you've been there.

Greybeard wrote:I prefer being a "grey man" silently concealed carrying. I'm 74 years old and know I am no longer able to physically defend myself to any great degree. There's no sense in provoking anyone especially some big oaf that simply wants my piece. If he doesn't know I have it then I likely won't be bothered.

Precisely why I do not open carry, though I am larger and very capable of defending myself from an unarmed assailant. A buddy of mine was attacked some years ago due to he preference to open carry, the perp wanted his Glock and beaned him from behind.

Someone on another forum made a good analogy to car theft. Cars are getting harder and harder to steal. They are locked up and alarmed and even have disabling devices now. So, bad guys are turning to car-JACKING. They wait for the owner to show up and force them to hand over the keys. A much worse situation, IMO.

Same kind of thing is happening with guns. Homes are alarmed, have more secure doors, and have video surveillance. So bad guys who want to steal guns have a harder time breaking in and taking them from homes. As a result, they are forced to grab them from people out in public, and the OCer is the natural target. A much worse situation, IMO.

I think this analogy holds water.

Some of the biggest problems that OC'ers face is poor situational awareness, poor training and lack of weapon retention training. A perp will "generally" not walk to a police officer to do a gun grab, but perps will size up a civilian and look for a soft target.

Case in point - I was in a men's room in a store last week. I noticed a man using a urinal and he was OCing a revolver. I could have easily snatched that gun in a New York minute. Now, if that was me, I would be in a stall with the door locked. That's just common sense to me, yet so many people don't think like that.

EXACTLY JIM! I will NEVER understand people carrying open, or concealed, and putting themselves in situations where the weapon can be taken! Bathrooms are one.

Shopping is another... What do you think happens when your HANDS ARE FULL!?!?! You can be disarmed.
It's better to push a buggy, or carry a basket. Plus? You have another item to use to keep distance between you, and someone else.

Great story, I wish more gun owners would just go out and get a concealed carry permit.

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Reverenddel wrote:
It's better to push a buggy, or carry a basket.

Or you could lose your gun and end up in a casket.

That was a pretty grim rhyme. LOL