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Orlando FL - Armed robbers target shooters

6K views 67 replies 44 participants last post by  RETSUPT99 
#1 ·
I was at the range tonight for a practice match, and heard something disturbing from the range officer who works at the range/store. Seems like a group of local hoodlums has worked out a system of 4 of them following a person home who's been shooting at the range. Last night this happened to a friend of the range employee - guy pulls into his driveway, and a car screeches in behind him blocking the exit. 4 young black males (could be teenagers or older), all armed, jump out and surround his car. They pat him down, take his wallet/keys/phone etc and also got several firearms that were in his car that he'd been shooting at the range. According to the way it was told, these criminals have it practiced down well, and knew to pat him down in all of the places where one might have a concealed pistol. Luckily they did not continue the robbery and force him into his own house as well. The way it was told, they followed this guy from Apopka to Casselberry, which is some distance through city traffic, so they went to some trouble to target this particular guy. A store/range employee may have had a run-in with the same bunch a week or two ago, when a car on a busy main road (Colonial Dr) stopped in front of him at a red light and two guys jumped out and advanced towards him with bats. The range guy apparently drew down on them, and the criminals jumped back in their car and sped off (through a red light to get away).

If you're in Orlando FL or in central FL, the car used last night was a green honda of some type (accord? don't remember and in any event this was 2nd and 3rd hand, and the car could easily have been dumped by now). So, be careful out there. The MO sounds a lot like the IHOP armed robbery that happened a week or two ago, with at least 4 robbers suddenly converging SWAT style on their target. It's hard for me to see how one CCWer could handle a bunch like this, unless you had enough warning to just avoid the situation. Once the 4 of them have the drop on you...
 
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#2 ·
Oh my - that is serious! I can well see how folks could be targeted too. :frown:

I guess one major deal is to be VERY aware of who might be following and maybe even keep more than a handgun at hand!!! Better still - strength in numbers and have two folks travelling together ( or more).
 
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#4 ·
This is too close to home. I shoot at the Apopka range. Theres been a lot of this crap lately. I sure am sorry the victim lost his guns and wallet. Sure glad the BG didn't get into his house or get access to his family. Orange county cops need to get these BG before they kill someone.
 
#5 ·
This is too close to home. ...
Amen to that. I like to think that I'm quite anonymous and harmless looking, and the thought of being specifically targeted for a violent crime rattles me. Not so much the getting robbed part but thinking of being at home and my wife being in danger also. Most of the scenarios I've played through in my mind have been of the sort where appearing harmless will give me those couple of extra seconds to produce a self-defense weapon in time to stop things. With this MO it doesn't seem likely to me that they will run across an armed citizen who will get the drop on them, and it may take some sort of lucky break for the police to get them.
 
#9 ·
If they would keep the BG in jail instead of using the revolving door policy ...
There's a lot of that going around. Here, as well. :aargh4: Stupifying to believe that armed robbers can get back on the streets in weeks, if "worse" felons cross paths with the sheriff/police in that span of time. Not enough beds at the jails for all the criminals passing through.
 
#8 ·
Orlando...

I used to think of Orlando & 'Mickey'...now it's more like Orlando & 'Goofy'...

My son lived in Orlando for a couple of years, and I never liked that place...but it does grow more dangerous by the day.

Now my son is in Gainesville, and I'm nearby...but we too, are starting to have a few more problems up here...

Stay armed...stay very alert...stay safe!

ret
 
#10 ·
Thanks for the heads up as I shoot at these ranges. Noticing a following car is not so hard in the daytime, unless the follower is a real pro, but in city traffic at night it's a whole lot harder. A series of turns in a low traffic area is one way if you're suspicious. I'm liking Orlando less all the time.
 
#12 ·
Strange that there is nothing on the Seminole Sheriff's website about this, although the daily report from yesterday is not on the website yet.

If you're interested in events in Seminole, check out http://www.seminolesheriffnews.org/. All of the department's press releases are there, along with the prior day's shift report and booking reports.

Matt
 
#14 ·
This brings two things to my mind:

1) How many times have you seen someone at a range, shoot ALL their ammunition. Not leaving ANY for the trip home?

2) Everybody needs to pay more attention while driving. (For me this part is easy, I drive a pickup that is high & easy to see from. My journey home from working is long, about an hour. It's also on a sparsely traveled road. If someone's following, it's very easy to tell. Plus I keep a truck gun, usually a long gun/shotgun.)
 
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#18 · (Edited)
1) How many times have you seen someone at a range, shoot ALL their ammunition. Not leaving ANY for the trip home?
The last step in any of my visits to the range is always to load my mags back up with carry ammo. A BG who comes after me on the way back from the range is going to get shot with the good stuff. :biggrin2:
 
#16 ·
Perhaps it's time to develop some tactics for exiting the range.

Whether you think you're being followed or not, go someplace public first. Park in the remote section of a parking lot. See who follows you in, and if they approach you. If so, move out, call 911, rendezvous with LEOs at another lot. Don't lead them to your home.
 
#17 ·
I guess this is a good reason to keep shooting on private property and not at a local range.

Although the range I shoot at that is public is way in bfe and only one road in or out, so you would surely know if someone was following you.

Probably won't be good for business at the range there though.
 
#19 ·
Early retirement

BG's targeting people who not only own guns, but actually practice with them??? Generally, career criminals aren't very smart, but these guys are trying out for 'Dumbest Criminals' awards. I hope some one gives them a very special early retirement, and soon.
 
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#27 ·
BG's targeting people who not only own guns, but actually practice with them??? Generally, career criminals aren't very smart, but these guys are trying out for 'Dumbest Criminals' awards. I hope some one gives them a very special early retirement, and soon.
That was my first thought when I read this post. It doesn't make any sense to me that BGs, regardless how dumb they may be, would target someone who they know is armed.

Ron
 
#23 ·
Can't really argue with you, other than to wonder if this did happen. Maybe a few days ago? Do you know how to access Orange Co Sheriff report? I couldn't find anything on their website. Maybe it happened in Orange Co despite my mention of Apopka/Casselberry? Could be bs too, but the store owner telling us this was awfully convinced. I can't figure why he'd tell us that (about someone he says he knows) if he didn't think it was true. It sure didn't help his business - I belong to a private club range too that's locked up and I usually go there w/o worrying about this kind of thing. I go to this guy's range every once in a while for a practice IDPA style match, but this has me at least thinking about not going for a while (this range isn't in the best part of town, not the worst but not real great).
 
#22 ·
Yeah, this is some scary stuff. Not much you do, when they drive up and surround you, as you are seated in your car. Total disadvantage in that position. I'll be sure take more notice as I'm heading back from a trip to the range. I ALWAYS have a loaded gun in the car with me, in fact more than one. Orlando has been getting to be less and less safe, no matter where you might be. BGs can be anywhere.
 
#24 ·
Maybe it did happen in Orange, or perhaps it was inside the city limits and was handled by the city PD, although Seminole County's helo and / or K9 usually go for things like that.

Still, an interesting thread - and something we definitely should be considering when we go to the range.

Matt
 
#25 ·
#29 ·
:urla9ub: :yup: I've seen a few shooters use up their ammo and then put the gun back in the box it came with. After that robbery of a shooter in Apopka they had better have a ccw gun and be a bit paranoid. If the shooter had been alert he might have foiled the robbery. I wasn't there and can only guess as to the out come.
 
#31 ·
Well said. I never use my carry ammo at the range. When I go to my car I always reload my gun for the drive home. I just can't go with out my guns being ready to go. We can only guess what might have happened here had he been carry a loaded gun. Always have to be ready for anything.
 
#30 ·
In addition to keeping ammo for the ride home, I will exhort all to always have a fully charged weapon on their person that is not going to be used for shooting at the range (except in SD emergency). There is no hallowed ground / safe sanctuary from the bad guys. I either have a Walther in my coronado leather vest or a 642 in my front pocket. And on cold days, I have em both. And that does not count the one I am shooting (IWB 3:30)
 
#36 ·
In addition to keeping ammo for the ride home, I will exhort all to always have a fully charged weapon on their person that is not going to be used for shooting at the range (except in SD emergency).

That's what I've always done -- kept one gun with which to defend my life, and the other guns.

I guess I just assumed that the wisdom of doing this had occurred to everyone . . .
 
#34 ·
Interesting story. Good advice about always being aware of your surroundings. I never shoot all my ammo when I go to the range. I always reload my ccw before I leave the range. I will carry extra clips for the ccw, and put aside the carry clip when I get to the range to put back in when I am leaving.

SY
 
#35 ·
When I'm shooting (even if it's just with my friends informally in the woods) I always have one gun that stays on my person, never gets fired that trip, and stays ready. You just can't ever tell whats going to happen.

Example: last year 3 of us were out plinking into a hill side. A couple mountain bikers stopped on their trip and the one guy asked if he could shoot a pistol a couple times because "His wife wouldent let him have one anymore" We made a character judgement, and lent the guy a handgun with 5 rounds in the mag and gave him some ear protection. I looked around as he took the line, and noticed the other two guys with me both had their hands casually resting on their CCW guns.

Good fellas :yup:
 
#37 ·
Originally Posted by sojourner
In addition to keeping ammo for the ride home, I will exhort all to always have a fully charged weapon on their person that is not going to be used for shooting at the range (except in SD emergency).
If I'm at the range shooting my CCW gun I've decided to always keep one mag loaded and off to the side. That way if some bit of improbabilty strikes just after I've emptied my other mags I'll have one to ready to go.

I made that decision yesterday when I realized that after emptying all four mags and with my other gun that trip already put away after having all of it's ammo used up I had just disarmed myself.

That hollow feeling I felt in the pit of my stomach just then was nature telling me to wise up and have a better plan. And I'm angry at myself that it took numerous trips to realize this. Sometimes I'm about as sharp as a potato.
 
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