From the latest USCCA newsletter:
Written by Mr. Philip Van Cleave, President of the Virginia Citizens Defense League
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1. Exclusive: I met with the gun owner who saved lives in the Richmond Golden Market shooting last week
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On Friday I received a surprise call from the gun owner who has been in the press this week for saving lives at a Richmond store. The gun owner used a replica 1875 Remington Army .45 Long Colt with a 7 1/2 inch barrel to stop a criminal who had shot the store's owner.
He wanted to remain anonymous, but called so that the story could be set straight, as much of what was in the press wasn't accurate.
Board member Dennis O'Connor and I ended up meeting with him today (Saturday) at the Golden Market store, where the shooting had taken place one week earlier.
Besides being able to actually see the layout of the store, Dennis and I got to see the security videos of the shooting!
We also got to meet the store owner who had been shot twice during the hold up, but is now back at his store. More on this great man later.
Here is what we know from talking to the gun owner and watching the videos:
The gun owner (GO) was in the store waiting in line to pay for an item when the bad guy (BG) came in wearing dark sunglasses and trying to coverup his face while brandishing a revolver. The BG yelled for everyone to get down and before anybody could react, immediately walked over to the store owner and in a cold-blooded fashion shot him twice. The owner then dropped down behind the counter. It wasn't more than 2 seconds after the BG first walked in the doors that he shot the store owner.
Those shots at the store owner missed a teenage boy's head by inches.
The GO yelled for the BG to drop his gun as the GO drew his gun. The BG opened fire on the GO. The GO returned fire, hitting the BG as the GO dove hard for the floor behind some barrels full of ice and drinks.
The BG ran towards the back of the store, aiming his gun at an innocent man laying prone on the floor. Luckily the BG was too distracted by the GO to shoot the man. There is no doubt in my mind that the man would have been shot in cold blood that day if it weren't for that GO returning fire.
The BG kept trying to get to the front of the store by walking up various aisles and firing shots at the GO as he did so. At one point cans of tinned meat exploded on a shelf as the BG took a shot at the GO.
What was bizarre was that the BG actually was strutting around like he owned the place while under fire! As he approached the front of one aisle, he again pointed a gun at a person on the ground and was about to execute him, when he was again distracted by the GO.
Finally the GO spotted the BG at the front of an aisle standing in the open.
Much to his surprise, the GO discovered that when he dove hard for the floor he had somehow broken the trigger on his gun!
But the gun was a single action, so the GO pushing himself up with one arm, aimed the gun, pulled the hammer back and let it fly forward - twice.
Although seriously wounded three times, the BG came at the GO. The BG tried to grab the GO's gun since the BG's gun was out of ammunition. A life-and-death struggle began. The GO got a grip on the BG's gun and the GO hit the BG twice hard on the temple with the 7 1/2" barrel on his rather heavy gun.
The BG finally broke off the engagement, tried to run out the front door, but collapsed at the door.
The GO secured the BG's gun and keeping an eye on the now unconscious bad guy, called 9-1-1.
The BG has now died (he was in critical condition since the shooting).
The police showed up a minute or so after the 9-1-1 call and initially had everyone in the store at gun point and handcuffed some until they could figure out who was who.
What really impressed me was that on the surveillance video, the owner, while shot twice by the BG, was walking around making sure that all of his customers were OK after the shooting had ended. He only let himself collapse after he was sure they were OK! Words fail me on this. I am so glad that he made it. What a dichotomy - a BG who shoots an innocent person without provocation, almost killing a teenager while doing so - caring for no one but himself. And then the store owner who, while seriously wounded, making sure his customers were OK. Evil exists and so does Good. Both were on display in those two minutes of terror. Luckily only the bad guy was killed. The owner was walking with a limp, clearly in some pain. :-(
A lot of people owe their lives to that GO. However, he is having none of it, saying that he simply did what he had to do.
--
The GO wanted me to share the following points:
* Buy a quality gun - don't use some cheap $90 gun to protect your life. He considered his gun to be a good one and even then the trigger broke under the extreme stress of a life-and-death battle.
* Practice with your gun, get training, and be good with that gun.
* More and more BGs are choosing to kill in cold blood to get what they want. If they can't live the "good life, " then they don't care if their crimes send them to jail.
* He also noted that fewer and fewer BGs are getting any jail time.
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Some of my own observations:
Unless you disrupt the central nervous system, do NOT assume hits from any handgun, whatever the caliber, will instantly stop a determined foe.
Train and equip yourself so you can fire a burst. Keep firing until the threat is over.
The only time you can have too much ammo is if you are drowning or on fire. A reliable semi-auto pistol is preferable to a revolver.
If you are going to shoot, do not give a warning. That just gives away the element of surprise.
Carry a gun that has been "torture tested." In combat, guns will get dropped onto hard floors, and into sand, dirt, or mud. Your gun may get soaked in blood or other "matter." Your gun must continue to function under adverse conditions.
Have a backup weapon. If not a BUG, at least a knife.
Carry a Quik-Clot dressing. Know how to self-administer first aid, as well as give aid to others.
Most importantly perhaps - Never give up. As long as you are conscious, continue to fight.
I'm sure others will draw their own conclusions, but I figured this was a good start.
Written by Mr. Philip Van Cleave, President of the Virginia Citizens Defense League
*******************************
1. Exclusive: I met with the gun owner who saved lives in the Richmond Golden Market shooting last week
*******************************
On Friday I received a surprise call from the gun owner who has been in the press this week for saving lives at a Richmond store. The gun owner used a replica 1875 Remington Army .45 Long Colt with a 7 1/2 inch barrel to stop a criminal who had shot the store's owner.
He wanted to remain anonymous, but called so that the story could be set straight, as much of what was in the press wasn't accurate.
Board member Dennis O'Connor and I ended up meeting with him today (Saturday) at the Golden Market store, where the shooting had taken place one week earlier.
Besides being able to actually see the layout of the store, Dennis and I got to see the security videos of the shooting!
We also got to meet the store owner who had been shot twice during the hold up, but is now back at his store. More on this great man later.
Here is what we know from talking to the gun owner and watching the videos:
The gun owner (GO) was in the store waiting in line to pay for an item when the bad guy (BG) came in wearing dark sunglasses and trying to coverup his face while brandishing a revolver. The BG yelled for everyone to get down and before anybody could react, immediately walked over to the store owner and in a cold-blooded fashion shot him twice. The owner then dropped down behind the counter. It wasn't more than 2 seconds after the BG first walked in the doors that he shot the store owner.
Those shots at the store owner missed a teenage boy's head by inches.
The GO yelled for the BG to drop his gun as the GO drew his gun. The BG opened fire on the GO. The GO returned fire, hitting the BG as the GO dove hard for the floor behind some barrels full of ice and drinks.
The BG ran towards the back of the store, aiming his gun at an innocent man laying prone on the floor. Luckily the BG was too distracted by the GO to shoot the man. There is no doubt in my mind that the man would have been shot in cold blood that day if it weren't for that GO returning fire.
The BG kept trying to get to the front of the store by walking up various aisles and firing shots at the GO as he did so. At one point cans of tinned meat exploded on a shelf as the BG took a shot at the GO.
What was bizarre was that the BG actually was strutting around like he owned the place while under fire! As he approached the front of one aisle, he again pointed a gun at a person on the ground and was about to execute him, when he was again distracted by the GO.
Finally the GO spotted the BG at the front of an aisle standing in the open.
Much to his surprise, the GO discovered that when he dove hard for the floor he had somehow broken the trigger on his gun!
But the gun was a single action, so the GO pushing himself up with one arm, aimed the gun, pulled the hammer back and let it fly forward - twice.
Although seriously wounded three times, the BG came at the GO. The BG tried to grab the GO's gun since the BG's gun was out of ammunition. A life-and-death struggle began. The GO got a grip on the BG's gun and the GO hit the BG twice hard on the temple with the 7 1/2" barrel on his rather heavy gun.
The BG finally broke off the engagement, tried to run out the front door, but collapsed at the door.
The GO secured the BG's gun and keeping an eye on the now unconscious bad guy, called 9-1-1.
The BG has now died (he was in critical condition since the shooting).
The police showed up a minute or so after the 9-1-1 call and initially had everyone in the store at gun point and handcuffed some until they could figure out who was who.
What really impressed me was that on the surveillance video, the owner, while shot twice by the BG, was walking around making sure that all of his customers were OK after the shooting had ended. He only let himself collapse after he was sure they were OK! Words fail me on this. I am so glad that he made it. What a dichotomy - a BG who shoots an innocent person without provocation, almost killing a teenager while doing so - caring for no one but himself. And then the store owner who, while seriously wounded, making sure his customers were OK. Evil exists and so does Good. Both were on display in those two minutes of terror. Luckily only the bad guy was killed. The owner was walking with a limp, clearly in some pain. :-(
A lot of people owe their lives to that GO. However, he is having none of it, saying that he simply did what he had to do.
--
The GO wanted me to share the following points:
* Buy a quality gun - don't use some cheap $90 gun to protect your life. He considered his gun to be a good one and even then the trigger broke under the extreme stress of a life-and-death battle.
* Practice with your gun, get training, and be good with that gun.
* More and more BGs are choosing to kill in cold blood to get what they want. If they can't live the "good life, " then they don't care if their crimes send them to jail.
* He also noted that fewer and fewer BGs are getting any jail time.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some of my own observations:
Unless you disrupt the central nervous system, do NOT assume hits from any handgun, whatever the caliber, will instantly stop a determined foe.
Train and equip yourself so you can fire a burst. Keep firing until the threat is over.
The only time you can have too much ammo is if you are drowning or on fire. A reliable semi-auto pistol is preferable to a revolver.
If you are going to shoot, do not give a warning. That just gives away the element of surprise.
Carry a gun that has been "torture tested." In combat, guns will get dropped onto hard floors, and into sand, dirt, or mud. Your gun may get soaked in blood or other "matter." Your gun must continue to function under adverse conditions.
Have a backup weapon. If not a BUG, at least a knife.
Carry a Quik-Clot dressing. Know how to self-administer first aid, as well as give aid to others.
Most importantly perhaps - Never give up. As long as you are conscious, continue to fight.
I'm sure others will draw their own conclusions, but I figured this was a good start.